The Los Angeles Lakers win the 2020 championship behind stellar defense and automatic offense from their star duo. LeBron James led all Lakers with a triple-double, scoring 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. Rajon Rondo proved his place on the team as he brought some excellent veteran play that placed the Lakers right in line for the win. Notable star player Goran Dragic made a return for the Heat for the first time since Game 1. His presence however, was not enough of an offensive boost as the Heat struggled all night behind the stingy Lakers defense.. The Heat lived through Jimmy but died with him too as he was most likely still recovering from his insane 47 of 48 minute game 5 performance. Butler ended the game with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Bam Adebayo led all Heat players with 25 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers were in control all game.
Game 6 started early with the Lakers going towards a more defensive approach especially around the perimeter. This approach made all the difference as the Lakers had control of the game early with an eight-point lead. Heat on the other hand did not have any answer for LeBron as he was automatic when driving into the paint. Jimmy Butler who had to play 47 of 48 minutes in game 5 did not play at his usual high defensive level. This created an area that the Lakers were able to expose on the offensive side. Rajon Rondo namely was able to expose this hole through his veteran experience constantly threading the needle and getting offensive rebounds. The second quarter closed out in a blood bath as Lakers got to a 28 point lead beating the Heat, 64-36 at the half.
In the third, the Lakers continued their dominant performance. They only continued to expose the hole that was on the Heat’s defensive end as Jimmy Butler continued to be non-existent in the win or go-home game. Anthony Davis had a phenomenal game that did not fully show on the stat sheet. His presence on the court was highly responsible for the defensive clinic that the Lakers put on in the Finals game. On the Heat side, they did not have any offensive rhythm aside from Adebayo. The Heat began to get a slight offensive rhythm in the fourth as they decreased the Laker lead, but, it would prove to be a fluke. The Lakers win the championship, 106-90.
The Lakers dominant performance laid any questions to rest of their deserving place as champions in the historic 2020 NBA season. Anthony Davis, with incredible efficiency, ended the finals series shooting 57% from the field, 43% from beyond the arc, and 94% in free throws. While LeBron James leadership and playoff experience led him to an incredible finals performance, winning him the Finals MVP. James was asked about how it is playing with AD saying, “It’s easy. We have no ego, we want the best from each other everyday on and off the court”. Davis was also asked about Kobe and his relationship with him, “Ever since the tragedy, all we wanted to do, was do it for him, and we did not let him down”. Through tragedy, off-court challenges, and a remarkable experience with the NBA bubble, the Lakers persevered through it all. They held one another accountable and were able to accomplish their goal to make Kobe proud. The Los Angeles Lakers are the 2020 NBA champions.
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