Well, so much for all the people who doubted the Los Angeles Lakers. Frank Vogelās team proved that theyāre for real with a huge statement win over the Miami Heat, dominating them for most of Game 1 of theNBA Finals even when they were at full strength.
The Heat jumped to a big lead early in the first quarter but once the Lakers tied it up a couple of minutes later, it all went south for Erik Spoelstraās side, which also lost a couple of soldiers due to injury.
Anthony Davis lived upto the expectations and proved again that trading the young players for him was worth it, scoring a game-high 34 points with 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks on 11/21 shooting and a +/- of 23.
LeBron James nearly had a triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds, 9 dimes, and 1 steal, while even Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, and Alex Caruso scored in double-figures. Shockingly, not a single Lakers player had a negative +/-.
The Miami Heat lost Goran Dragic ā likely for the series ā with a torn plantar fascia, while Jimmy Butler rolled his ankle badly twice and Bam Adebayo hurt the same shoulder that bothered him in the Eastern Conference Finals.
That makes this uphill battle almost impossible for the Miami Heat, as they could be without 2 of their top-3 scorers and minute-getters. Needless to say, the internet wasnāt quiet during this purple-and-gold fest and potential sweep.
Funniest Memes And Reactions From The Lakersā Huge Win Over The Heat In Game 1 Of The NBA Finals
If thereās a team that can come back and fight their way to a win, thatās the Miami Heat, especially under Spoelstraās command. Then again, itāll be quite tough for them if theyāre not at full strength. Thatās the kind of thing you never want to see at any stage, especially in the NBA Finals.
