Lakers hit back to beat Heat and take 3-1 NBA Finals lead
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[October 07, 2020]
(Reuters) - LeBron James
overcame a sluggish start and Anthony Davis made a key three-pointer
and block late on as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat
102-96 on Tuesday to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA
Finals.
Coming off a win in their last meeting, the Heat played with
confidence early on as Jimmy Butler went 5-5 from the field,
including a jump shot at the buzzer that cut the Lakers' lead to
27-22 at the end of the first quarter.
The Miami defense frustrated the Lakers in a back-and-forth second
quarter and the Heat went into the break down two points after
rookie Tyler Herro's put-back jumper went in just before halftime.
James scored just eight points and committed five turnovers in the
first half but was much better in the second, finishing with 28
points including a driving layup where he was fouled after the Heat
tied the game 83-83 with 6:22 left to play.
With less than a minute left, Davis hit a long three-pointer to push
the advantage to nine and blocked a Butler layup attempt to seal the
win and put the Lakers one victory away from their 17th championship
and first since 2010.
The Lakers got important contributions from the supporting cast
including 15 points from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and five assists
and seven rebounds from Rajon Rondo.
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Lakers forward LeBron James (23) passes the ball during the second
quarter against the Miami Heat in game 4 of the 2020 NBA Finals at
AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
"It felt like a Finals game. It felt like both teams were desperate,
understanding the situation they had both put themselves in," James
said.
"Trying to get every extra possession, execute offensively, trying
not to make mistakes defensively - that's what it was all about. And
we needed every second from our bench and our starters to get this
win."
James said he was already thinking about Friday's Game Five.
"We understand what's at stake. The job is not done," he added. "I
look forward to the next match."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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