By Isaiah Shim
Sports Editor
Four games into the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals and the Los Angeles Lakers hold a commanding 3-1 lead over the Miami Heat.
In Game 1, the Lakers shot lights out. LeBron James was one assist away from a triple-double, finishing the opening game with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists, but Anthony Davis led all scorers with 34 points. Overall, the Lakers shot 64.7% from the three-point line in the first half, boosting the Lakers to a 32 point lead at one point.
For the Heat, the injury bug hit them at the most inopportune time as guard Goran Dragic left with a torn plantar fascia and center Bam Adebayo exited the game with a left shoulder strain. This allowed the Lakers to roll over the Heat in Games 1 and 2, taking a 2-0 series lead.
The story of Game 3 however was Jimmy Butler. With Dragic and Adebayo out, someone on the Heat needed to score and Butler delivered. Butler recorded a triple double, finishing with third 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists to lead the Heat to a 115-104 victory. With this performance, Butler joined Jerry West (1969) and LeBron James (2015) as the only players to record a 40-point triple-double in NBA Finals history.
Going into Game 4, Dragic was still out, but Bam Adebayo was returning for the Heat. The game was a low scoring affair in the first half, both teams struggling from the field with the Lakers heading into halftime with a 49-47 lead.
The Lakers supporting cast is what really helped propel the Lakers in the second half. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green, who have struggled throughout this postseason, came up big scoring 15 and 10 points, respectively. LeBron, who seemed out of sync in the first half, came back in the second to finish with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
Overall, Game 4 was a grind it out defensive battle with Lakers guard Rajon Rondo making key plays down the stretch and Anthony Davis hitting a clutch three with 40 seconds to go in the game to help the Lakers come out on top 102-96, taking a 3-1 series lead.
Looking ahead to Game 5, it’s tough to see an outcome where the Lakers do not come out on top. This is in large part thanks to Anthony Davis, who has been playing extremely well. At this rate, there is little doubt that Davis will be the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) should the Lakers close things out on Friday. All hope is not lost for the Heat though. Tyler Herro struggled mightily in Game 4, but if the Heat can get him back to his old self, combined with another stellar performance from Butler, the Heat could potentially extend the series one more game.
That being said, it’s going to be an uphill battle from here on out for Miami. Only one team in NBA Finals history has come back from a 3-1 deficit, that team being the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James.
You can catch Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals on Friday, October 9 at 6 pm, on ABC.
