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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat Pick & Prediction APR 8TH 2021
563Los Angeles Lakers564Miami Heat
Los Angeles vs. Miami Recap APR 8TH 2021
LeBron James capped another illustrious title run with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers earned their record-tying 17th championship with a 106-93 rout of the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night near Orlando.
Anthony Davis had 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo scored 19 for the Lakers, who matched the Boston Celtics for most titles in league history with their first championship since 2010. James, named Finals Most Valuable Player, earned his fourth title with his third different team. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 17 points for Los Angeles, which had missed the playoffs each of the previous six seasons.
Bam Adebayo had 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder scored 12 each for the Heat, whose Cinderella run at the NBA bubble came to an end. Goran Dragic returned from four games missed with a foot injury, but it wasn't enough for Miami to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-1 in the series.
The Lakers never trailed, first-year coach Frank Vogel shaking things up from the tip by starting Alex Caruso over Dwight Howard and shifting Davis to center. Caruso had only made two starts all season. The move paid off, as Los Angeles effectively put the game away by outscoring Miami 36-16 in the second quarter.
A 13-0 run in the period, capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Caldwell-Pope, had the Lakers up by 30, 64-34, with 49.6 seconds left in the half. The margin was 28 at the break, the second-largest halftime lead in NBA Finals history.
Davis and Caldwell-Pope each had 15 points at the break, and Rondo was a spark off the bench with 13 on 6-of-6 shooting. James had 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the first half. Butler was held to eight points on 3-of-7 shooting, as the Heat shot 34.2 percent from the floor as a team over the first 24 minutes.
Intermission did little to slow down Los Angeles, which led by as much as 36 before finishing the third quarter up 87-58. Ahead 103-86 with 1:27 remaining, James and Davis went to the bench to begin celebrating with teammates.
--Field Level Media
Since LeBron James injured his ankle on March 20, the Los Angeles Lakers are scoring just 99.7 points per 100 possessions -- the second-worst average in the NBA during that span.
On Thursday night, the Lakers -- still without their two superstars in James and Anthony Davis (calf injury) -- will be searching for offense as they visit the Miami Heat in a rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals, won by Los Angeles.
The Lakers are 4-6 without James this season and 15-13 without Davis.
Lakers center Andre Drummond, acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 28, has missed the past three games due to a toe injury, further complicating matters. Drummond, a two-time All-Star who has led the NBA in rebounding in four of the past five years, might be able to play against the Heat.
Without James (25.4 scoring average) and Davis (22.5), the Lakers' offense usually turns to Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma. All three are averaging between 12 and 15 points.
In addition, Lakers coach Frank Vogel has taken his team back to school, in a sense, to try to improve its offense.
"We've shown a lot of offensive game tape of late," Vogel said. "We're focusing on offensive fundamentals."
In Los Angeles' most recent win, a 110-101 road victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the Lakers improved offensively, shooting 60 percent from the floor in the first half and 49.4 percent for the game. The Lakers also shot 18-for-40 on three-pointers (45.0 percent).
Miami, meanwhile, beat the host Lakers 96-94 on Feb. 20 in their only meeting so far this season. James had 19 points, nine assists and nine rebounds in that game, but the Lakers were without Davis and Schroder.
For Miami in that game, the Heat played without Goran Dragic (sprained left ankle) and lost Tyler Herro after 14 minutes due to a hip pointer.
The Heat, meanwhile, have won four of their past five games, although they lost 124-112 at home to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
Within the past month, the Grizzlies have snapped a Heat five-game win streak and then a Miami four-game run.
"We're much better than we showed," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said on Tuesday. "It shows how fragile things can be in this league. You're playing well and ..."
Miami is 2-1 since shooting guard Victor Oladipo joined its lineup following a trade with the Houston Rockets. Oladipo, who was averaging 21.2 points with the Rockets, has scored six, eight and 16 points, respectively, in his first three games with Miami.
During that span, Oladipo has made 11-for-35 from the floor. His addition to the lineup has also had an impact on teammate Kendrick Nunn, who has gone from starter to zero playing time over the past three games.
The Heat, who are as healthy as they have been all season, will continue to rely on Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Butler leads Miami in scoring (21.4), assists (7.3) and steals (2.0).
Adebayo is second in scoring (19.2) and assists (5.4) while ranking first in rebounds (9.6) and blocks (1.2).
Herro (15.6), Dragic (13.3) and Duncan Robinson (13.1) add scoring punch along with Oladipo as he makes the adjustment to his new team.
--Field Level Media
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Last 10
- @Charlotte W 101 - 93
- @New York L 96 - 111
- @Brooklyn W 126 - 101
- @Miami L 104 - 110
- @Toronto W 110 - 101
- @L.A. Clippers L 86 - 104
- @Sacramento W 115 - 94
- Milwaukee L 112 - 97
- Orlando W 93 - 96
- Cleveland W 86 - 100
- @Denver L 106 - 123
- @Phoenix L 86 - 106
- @Portland W 107 - 98
- L.A. Lakers W 104 - 110
- Memphis L 124 - 112
- Cleveland W 101 - 115
- Golden State W 109 - 116
- @Indiana W 92 - 87
- @New York W 98 - 88
- @Charlotte L 105 - 110
Next Games
Last Meetings
Eastern Conference
NBA Atlantic | W | L | PRC | HOME | AWAY | PF | PA | ST | L10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philadelphia 76ers | 38 | 17 | .691 | 21-5 | 17-12 | 113.9 | 108.5 | L1 | 6-0-4 |
Brooklyn Nets | 37 | 18 | .673 | 22-7 | 15-11 | 118.8 | 114.2 | L1 | 7-0-3 |
Boston Celtics | 29 | 26 | .527 | 17-10 | 12-16 | 112.4 | 110.4 | L1 | 7-0-3 |
New York Knicks | 29 | 27 | .518 | 17-10 | 12-17 | 105.6 | 104.3 | L2 | 5-0-5 |
Toronto Raptors | 22 | 34 | .393 | 12-15 | 10-19 | 112.0 | 111.6 | L2 | 4-0-6 |
NBA Central | W | L | PRC | HOME | AWAY | PF | PA | ST | L10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee Bucks | 34 | 20 | .630 | 18-8 | 16-12 | 119.2 | 112.7 | L3 | 5-0-5 |
Indiana Pacers | 26 | 28 | .481 | 9-16 | 17-12 | 113.9 | 114.1 | L1 | 5-0-5 |
Chicago Bulls | 22 | 32 | .407 | 10-17 | 12-15 | 112.2 | 113.6 | L4 | 3-0-7 |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 20 | 34 | .370 | 11-15 | 9-19 | 103.9 | 111.0 | L2 | 3-0-7 |
Detroit Pistons | 16 | 39 | .291 | 9-16 | 7-23 | 107.7 | 111.4 | L3 | 4-0-6 |
Western Conference
NBA Northwest | W | L | PRC | HOME | AWAY | PF | PA | ST | L10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Utah Jazz | 41 | 14 | .745 | 25-3 | 16-11 | 117.0 | 107.5 | L1 | 7-0-3 |
Denver Nuggets | 35 | 20 | .636 | 19-10 | 16-10 | 115.1 | 110.0 | L2 | 8-0-2 |
Portland Trail Blazers | 31 | 23 | .574 | 16-12 | 15-11 | 114.7 | 114.9 | L2 | 5-0-5 |
Oklahoma City Thunder | 20 | 35 | .364 | 9-20 | 11-15 | 105.3 | 114.3 | L8 | 1-0-9 |
Minnesota Timberwolves | 14 | 42 | .250 | 9-19 | 5-23 | 110.1 | 118.1 | L2 | 3-0-7 |
NBA Pacific | W | L | PRC | HOME | AWAY | PF | PA | ST | L10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phoenix Suns | 39 | 15 | .722 | 22-8 | 17-7 | 114.8 | 107.7 | L1 | 9-0-1 |
Los Angeles Clippers | 39 | 18 | .684 | 22-8 | 17-10 | 115.0 | 108.2 | L2 | 8-0-2 |
Los Angeles Lakers | 34 | 21 | .618 | 16-11 | 18-10 | 109.8 | 105.6 | L1 | 6-0-4 |
Golden State Warriors | 27 | 28 | .491 | 17-10 | 10-18 | 112.9 | 113.7 | L1 | 5-0-5 |
Sacramento Kings | 22 | 33 | .400 | 12-16 | 10-17 | 114.2 | 118.7 | L8 | 2-0-8 |
Eastern Conference
NBA Southeast | W | L | PRC | HOME | AWAY | PF | PA | ST | L10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta Hawks | 30 | 25 | .545 | 14-10 | 16-15 | 113.3 | 111.2 | L1 | 7-0-3 |
Miami Heat | 28 | 27 | .509 | 15-13 | 13-14 | 106.2 | 107.5 | L2 | 6-0-4 |
Charlotte Hornets | 27 | 27 | .500 | 13-12 | 14-15 | 110.2 | 111.3 | L3 | 4-0-6 |
Washington Wizards | 21 | 33 | .389 | 10-16 | 11-17 | 113.8 | 118.6 | L1 | 5-0-5 |
Orlando Magic | 18 | 37 | .327 | 10-19 | 8-18 | 104.3 | 112.0 | L6 | 3-0-7 |
Western Conference
NBA Southwest | W | L | PRC | HOME | AWAY | PF | PA | ST | L10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas Mavericks | 30 | 24 | .556 | 13-12 | 17-12 | 111.4 | 109.7 | L2 | 7-0-3 |
Memphis Grizzlies | 27 | 26 | .509 | 13-16 | 14-10 | 112.9 | 111.6 | L1 | 6-0-4 |
San Antonio Spurs | 26 | 27 | .491 | 12-17 | 14-10 | 110.7 | 112.0 | L1 | 3-0-7 |
New Orleans Pelicans | 25 | 30 | .455 | 16-14 | 9-16 | 114.5 | 114.9 | L1 | 5-0-5 |
Houston Rockets | 14 | 41 | .255 | 7-20 | 7-21 | 108.3 | 114.8 | L4 | 1-0-9 |
Last Injuries
Miami Heat
-
Jimmy Butler
AnkleProb Wed | probableButler is battling a ankle injury, but it is likely that he will be active versus the Nuggets on Wednesday.
-
Goran Dragic
RestOut Wed | outDragic will not be in the lineup versus the Nuggets, as he will receive a day of rest.
-
Gabe Vincent
KneeProb Wed | probableVincent is tending to a knee injury, but it is projected that he will be in the lineup versus the Nuggets on Wednesday.
-
Gabe Vincent
KneeProb Tues | probableVincent is tending to a right knee injury, but it is projected that he will be available on Tuesday versus the Suns.
-
KZ Okpala
IllnessProb Tues | probableOkpala has been sidelined while going through the NBA's health and safety protocols, but he is projected to take on the Suns on Tuesday.
-
Kendrick Nunn
AnkleProb Sun | probableNunn has been sidelined with a right ankle sprain, but it is expected that he will return to the lineup against the Trail Blazers on Sunday.
-
Tyler Herro
FootProb Sun | probableHerro is hampered by right foot soreness, but it is expected that he will face the Trail Blazers on Sunday.
-
Gabe Vincent
KneeProb Sun | probableVincent missed the previous game due to a knee injury, but it is likely that he will be available for Sunday's clash with the Trail Blazers.
Los Angeles Lakers
-
Markieff Morris
AnkleQues Thurs | questionableMorris missed the last contest with a left ankle sprain, and it is uncertain if he will be a participant in Thursday's showdown against the Celtics.
-
LeBron James
AnkleEarly May | outJames is out of commission with a high right ankle sprain, and he is expected to miss four to six weeks.
-
Marc Gasol
HamstringQues Thurs | questionableGasol was held out of the last game due to a left hamstring strain, and it remains to be seen if he will suit up for Thursday's clash with the Celtics.
-
Anthony Davis
CalfLate April | outDavis is out of the lineup with a right calf strain, and he is not expected to return until at least the end of April.
-
Wesley Matthews
AchillesProb Tues | probableMatthewsis battling right Achilles tightness, but it is anticipated that he will dress for Tuesday's showdown with the Hornets.
-
Dennis Schroder
PelvisProb Tues | probableSchroder is expected to face the Hornets on Tuesday despite a pelvic contusion.
-
Talen Horton-Tucker
SuspensionElig Tues | outHorton-Tucker is serving a one-game suspension for his role in an on-court altercation, and he is eligible to return against the Hornets on Tuesday.
-
Kyle Kuzma
CalfProb Tues | probableKuzma is hampered by a left calf strain, but it is likely that he will take on the Hornets on Tuesday.
Trends
Miami Trends
- TrendUnder is 7-2-1 in Heat last 10 games as a home underdog of 5.0-10.5.Hit %77.80% (10)O/U2|7Push1W/L
- TrendUnder is 23-9 in Heat last 32 games as an underdog of 11.0 or greater.Hit %71.90% (32)O/U9|23Push0W/L
- TrendOver is 6-0 in Heat last 6 games as a favorite of 11.0 or greater.Hit %100.00% (6)O/U6|0Push0W/L
- TrendUnder is 6-2 in Heat last 8 games as an underdog of 0.5-4.5.Hit %75.00% (8)O/U2|6Push0W/L
L.A. Lakers Trends
- TrendUnder is 16-6 in Lakers last 22 games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.Hit %72.70% (22)O/U6|16Push0W/L
- TrendUnder is 6-2 in Lakers last 8 games as an underdog of 11.0 or greater.Hit %75.00% (8)O/U9|23Push0W/L
- TrendOver is 5-0 in Lakers last 5 games as a favorite of 11.0 or greater.Hit %100.00% (5)O/U6|0Push0W/L
- TrendUnder is 5-1 in Lakers last 6 games as a road underdog of 11.0 or greater.Hit %83.30% (6)O/U1|5Push0W/L
Meetings Trends
- TrendUnder is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Miami.Hit %80.00% (5)O/U1|4Push0W/L
- TrendUnder is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.Hit %80.00% (5)O/U1|4Push0W/L
- TrendLakers are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings.Hit %16.70% (6)O/UPush0W/L1|5