Getty Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Through the first two games of the NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers looked unbeatable. They simply dominated the Miami Heat. Add in the fact that the Heat were missing two of their best players and it seemed like the series was all but over.
LeBron James had a solid game but didn’t do anything special. He also didn’t do much in the fourth quarter when the team was closing in. Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless called out LeBron for his “sorry” fourth quarter. He also didn’t leave Anthony Davis out of it, who had one of his worst games as a Laker.
Very surprised by and disappointed in LeBron, who had a pretty sorry fourth quarter. But AD had a rough game, so LeBron is still in position to win the MVP he desperately wants and needs.
LeBron almost had a triple-double so it’s probably not fair to criticize him too much. However, Davis deserves a lot of heat for his performance. He only scored 15 points and pretty much disappeared in the fourth quarter. He got into foul trouble early on and never go into a rhythm. There’s been debate as to who deserves the Finals MVP if the Lakers win. Davis definitely didn’t help his argument with his performance in Game 3.
ALL the latest Lakers news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Lakers newsletter here!
Are the Lakers in Trouble?
Many were already betting on a sweep for the Lakers but it’s now clear that the Heat aren’t going to go down without a fight. Everybody already knows how good Jimmy Butler is and he put on a clinic in Game 3. He scored 40 points and had a triple-double. He was seen heading to the Heat sideline saying the Lakers were “in trouble.”
“They’re in trouble.”
Talk that talk, Jimmy.
While Miami has proven to be formidable, it’s definitely premature to suggest the Lakers are in trouble yet. There’s almost no way the Heat are going to hold Davis to only 15 points for two games in a row. Every series in the playoffs so far, Los Angeles has had at least one dud of a game. The Heat are probably the best team they’ve faced but the Lakers are still better. Now, if Miami can pull off another win in Game 4, then things get really interesting. Until that happens, the Lakers aren’t in trouble at all.
LeBron Isn’t Concerned
The Heat are a good team and the longer the series goes on, the better chance they will have to get their injured stars back on the court. One thing is clear after Game 3: The series isn’t over. Despite getting punched in the mouth, LeBron isn’t panicking yet.
“I don’t feel like we’re concerned,” LeBron said after the loss, via Mike Trudell. “We’re not concerned. We know we can play a lot better. We have another opportunity to take a commanding lead on Tuesday.”
The Lakers have bounced back with wins after every single loss in the playoffs. They are not a team that is going to get down on itself. The fact of the matter is that they have the more talented team of the two and should win Game 4 if they limit the mistakes.
READ NEXT: Lakers Vet Had to Call out LeBron James During Last Season