We expected a big performance from LeBron James for his return to the Kaseya Center, and the King lived up to the event! For his return to the lands of the Heat where he won two titles in 2012 and 2013, LBJ did everything to ensure that his Lakers left with victory, and it was very close for the hold-up to take place. produce.
After being equal with the Floridians in the first half (62-59), the Californians gradually plunged in the third quarter, notably conceding a 12-1 marked by the dunk of Bam Adebayo, the hook of Jimmy Butler in front of Austin Reaves and Haywood Highsmith’s shot in transition to make it 87-75. The gap thus increased to +13 at the very end of the quarter on two shots from Jimmy Butler (90-77).
LeBron James loses Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell
The sky was seriously starting to darken for the Lakers, already deprived of Anthony Davis, who ended up throwing in the towel due to persistent hip pain after rest, and who quickly had to cope without D’Angelo Russell, sent off for two technical fouls. The task was especially complicated as everything seemed to be going in the opposite direction, while Bam Adebayo had just distributed his 10th assist for Jaime Jaquez Jr in transition, a basket synonymous with an XXL triple-double for the pivot which thus contributed to maintaining the lead premises (98-88).
It then took all the determination of LeBron James to put his team back in the match, with three baskets and an assist for Christian Wood’s 3-pointer. After another 3-pointer from Wood, the King was responsible for completely restarting the match by paying Josh Richardson, buried in the low post, to get a 2+1 and bring his team back to -1 (108-107) !
Bam Adebayo in the history of the Heat
Everything remained to be done with more than two minutes to go, but the muscles suddenly tensed on both sides, between the failures of the Reaves-James tandem on one side and the Lowry-Herro-Butler trio on the other behind the ‘bow. To top it off, it was Bam Adebayo, who, at the end of the effort, conceded a deal, the 9th “turnover” for his team in the 4th quarter, offering the Lakers the match point.
Starting on the drive from the head of the racket, LeBron James chose to reverse the play in the opposite corner to find Cam Reddish all alone at 3-points. The former New Yorker’s shot simply did not find the target, causing the Kaseya Center to explode with joy, and leaving the Californians with regrets.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The remarkable return of LeBron James. Gabe Vincent absent, the return of LeBron James was at the heart of attention during this Lakers match on the Miami floor. And the King lived up to expectations by playing an almost perfect score in all aspects of the game. We can estimate that he should have tried to finish the job by going to fight towards the circle where Bam Adebayo was waiting for him. He preferred to shift a completely open player. How can I blame him? In the end, he finished with 30 points, his usual average at the Kaseya Center since his departure from Miami. All he needed was victory for his evening to be perfect.
– A historic triple-double for Bam Adebayo. Record night for Bam Adebayo who recorded his sixth career triple-double with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. Above all, he became the first player in Heat history to compile a triple-double with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds…
– Anthony Davis’ injury. Every time AD starts to grimace, all of Los Angeles holds its breath, and that’s unfortunately what happened once again yesterday, when the Californian interior started to limp and to pout at the end of the first half. He returned after the break to do a final test before changing his mind and joining the bench from where he watched the entire fourth quarter.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅LeBron James. What an activity for a player of his age! From the start of the match, LeBron James seemed on a mission, determined to shine in the lands of his former exploits. Beyond the extraordinarily varied content that he was able to provide to the Lakers, the veteran distinguished himself by his serenity at the end of the match to allow his team to pick up the score. What will also have left its mark is to have found him in the front row on a good number of counter-attacks to go for big dunks and easy baskets. To believe that he was the youngest on the field!
✅Austin Reaves. He also didn’t come far from the triple-double! A lot of activity on his part as well and a reliable benchmark throughout the match, even if he could have been the hero of the “money-time” if he had made one of his two 3-point attempts which would then have made pass LA in front.
✅The Butler-Adebayo tandem. The two leaders from Miami will have had to work hard to tip the victory to the Florida side. Rather very good and often called upon in the first three quarters, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo suffered more at the end of the match, between the first who failed to score the basket which would have sealed the fate of the match, and the second, about to complete a historic evening, who was penalized for a beginner’s deal at the worst time! Errors that will be attributed to fatigue and which will have remained without consequence.
⛔ Tyler Herro. We knew him more inspired. His 8/20 shooting at 2/10 from distance and 6 lost balls did the job. He also finished with the Heat’s worst +/- (-9).
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
