Lakers beat the Heat to win record-tying 17th NBA title
Lake Buena Vista, US, Oct 11 (efe-epa).- The Los Angeles Lakers lifted their 17th NBA championship trophy on Sunday after defeating the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series, which they won 4-2.
This was the Lakers’ first NBA title since 2010 and also ties them with the Boston Celtics for the most championship titles in NBA history.
It was the fourth championship for Lakers star forward James LeBron, who has also captured the title twice with the Heat and once with the Cleveland Cavaliers, having played in a total of 10 NBA finals.
Although the game lasted 48 minutes, the outcome looked clear from the first quarter, when the Lakers jumped to a 28-20 lead, outplaying their opponent in all facets of the game.
James, who finished with a triple-double of 28 points, 14 rebound and 10 assists, had already sealed the win for the Lakers at the end of the first half, with the score at 64-36.
The star forward, who also picked up his fourth NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award, notched his 11th finals triple-double, the most in NBA history.
James had already scored 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists at the conclusion of the first half, while the Heat had become an unrecognizable team with a failing attack and non-existent defense.
Center Anthony Davis, who also finished the game with a double-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds and three assists, and veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 19 points, 13 of them in the first half on a perfect six-for-six shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, also made key contributions in securing the team their 17th title.
The Lakers returned to their traditional gold and purple uniforms after wearing “Black Mamba” jerseys in Game 5 to honor late guard Kobe Bryant, who, along with Pau Gasol, led the Lakers to their last championship in 2010.
James and the rest of the team said fighting for the title and winning it was the best tribute they could pay to the spirit of Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January along with his 13-year-old daughter Bianca and seven others.
Center Bam Adebayo was the only Heat player who stayed competitive against the Lakers with a double-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks.
Guard-forward Jimmy Butler, who had been the best player for the Heat in their two wins in the series, finished the game with just 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
This was the same number of points that forward Jae Crowder added, while guard Duncan Robinson, who had played a decisive role in Game 5 with his three-pointers, scored another 10 to complete the list of Heat players with double-digit scores.
The NBA playoffs were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex inside Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, to protect the players from the COVID-19 pandemic that led to a more than four month suspension of play from Mar. 11.
The venue, also referred to as the Orlando Bubble, cost the NBA $150 million, which it recovered through television broadcasting rights. EFE-EPA
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