The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. They are now just one win away from bringing home championship banner #17. The Lakers made adjustments to stop Jimmy Butler and stop him from repeating Game 3 heroics.
For the Lakers, the two superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis had terrific games. Although the two stars had forgettable first half, they turned up the heat in the second. LBJ finished the game with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists while hitting 50% of his shots.
On the other hand, Davis came up big time on the defensive end. The DPOY runner-up had 4 insane blocks, including one on Butler in the last few seconds of the ballgame.
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Lakers legend Magic Johnson praised Davis for his instrumental performance in the Lakers’ victory.
“Give AD credit for his strong defense on Jimmy Butler the entire game; he had 4 blocks and shut the lane down defensively. He finished with 22 points to help lead the Lakers to a 102-93 victory”
Give AD credit for his strong defense on Jimmy Butler the entire game; he had 4 blocks and shut the lane down defensively. He finished with 22 points to help lead the Lakers to a 102-93 victory.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 7, 2020
Along with the two stars, head coach Frank Vogel’s adjustments worked perfectly against the Heat team. Magic was quick to praise the Lakers coach as well for his excellent efforts.
“Let’s give Coach Vogel a lot of credit for his game adjustment to have AD guard Jimmy Butler!
Let’s give Coach Vogel a lot of credit for his game adjustment to have AD guard Jimmy Butler!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 7, 2020
Despite being guarded by LBJ and AD for most of the game, Butler finished with 22 points. If the Heat were at full power with veteran guard Goran Dragic, the outcome might have been different. But for now, the Lakers hold a commanding 3-1 lead over the Heat.
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Can the Los Angeles Lakers put the series to bed?
In the 2019-20 postseason, we have witnessed the Lakers’ ability to close out the series time and time again. They have never lost more than one game to any team in this entire playoff run. They have already lost one game in the series and are up 3-1 in the series.
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One might wonder if the series will be over as soon as the next game. But Miami still have a chance to make a comeback, given they take one game at a time.
But what do you think? Will the Lakers win the NBA Finals in Game 5 or not?