Heading into Game 6, momentum is on the side of the Miami Heat as they scored a win in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers and bought another day. According to Magic Johnson, the Purple & Gold must step up, specifically in defense, to secure their 17th championship, and the Lakers did not let him down.
The lessons of Game prompted Lakers head coach Frank Vogel to tweak his first five. He thought a faster crew will better deal with the challenge being up by Miami so Alex Caruso stepped in for Dwight Howard. The move was in line with the suggestions made by Johnson prior to the game.
According to Clutch Points, the Lakers legend called on the role player to play their biggest games, and Vogel made it happen. Thanks to his fine-tuning, Los Angeles dominated the final game of the series. It seemed that the match was already decided at halftime with the Vogel's team enjoying a 28-point lead.
Indeed, the Lakers clinched their latest Larry O'Brien by shutting the door on the Heat when the buzzer rang and the scoreboard read 106-93. After six attempts in the series, the Lakers finally secured their first championship, which the franchise last tasted in 2010, courtesy of the crew led then by Kobe Bryant.
Also, Johnson emphasized the need to limit the production of Erik Spoelstra's squad. The legendary playmakers said the Heat are killing the Lakers in the three-point area as evidenced by the 14 connected from beyond the arc by Miami on Friday.
The Heat failed to replicate the feat in Game 6 but most importantly, the Lakers clamped down on Miami's lone superstar, Jimmy Butler. The Miami shooting guard scored 40 in Game 4 and fired off 35 in the following game. His efforts nearly changed the course of the series.
Yet in the game that the Heat tried to tie the series, the Lakers defense limited Butler's production to dismal 12 points. It can be said that Los Angeles' overall gameplay shocked the opponent right from the start of Game 6. By the end of the second period, Miami looked overwhelmed and there was no looking back for LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the squad.
The NBA championship No. 17 is the Lakers going through their renaissance season and it ended well for the team, according to ESPN. The victory is a fitting culmination to a campaign that was ten years in the making.
And most notably, the last two seasons were painful. The hiring of James in 2018 ended in a disappointment. Then 2020 started with the untimely demise of Bryant. He was not an active player but the Lakers lost a giant inspiration.
The team, nonetheless, soldiered on and finished the season as the world champions. But the most important thing is, the Lakers regained the respect of their peers, boasting not only of a shiny new trophy but also registering better competitive ratings with the end of the season - No. 11 in offense and No. 3 in defense.
