Lakers vs Heat: LeBron James now has two shots to win the NBA title but he just needs one winning game
It was a good day for LeBron James, but not for the Los Angeles Lakers as they went down 108-111 to the Miami Heat thanks to Jimmy Butler's dogged gameplay and some big bucket three-pointers from Duncan Robinson. LeBron ended the day with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, but it wasn't enough for the big man to pull his team through. The Danny Green fail-play would be something the Lakers would be keen to forget as they now prepare for a Game 6 where they get another shot at winning the NBA Championship.
There was no doubt this would be another mud game. The Lakers were playing catchup for a major part of the game and when they chalked up their last play, it was a chance to make it title win no. 17. But it didn't come easy for the Heat either as each time they attempted to pull away, LeBron landed three-pointers to bring the Lakers closer. At one stage, he set up a perfect shot, dunked it in, and flexed em' biceps to show he was still in. And he was.
In the end, all the LeBron needed to close out this game was one more shot, and he didn't get it. But should we look at the larger picture, he's got two games and the team needs to win just one. Whether they decide to do it clinically on Sunday or let Heat rain down some more blows to make it a thrilling Game 7 remains to be seen. "We got a hell of a look to win the game, to win the series," he said after the game. "Didn’t go down."
Reliving the final minutes, Green was in the perfect place to sink that three. He took t and missed. Markeiff Morris collected the rebound and attempted a throw to a hobbling Anthony Davis, except he threw it out of bounds while James could just watch. For Lakers fans, this would be painful and will haunt them forever if the Heat pulls off an upset Championship win. On the flip side, had Green shot it, the newspapers and sports channels would be breaking out copies and interviews dissecting a Lakers win.
There would have been shots of LeBron with the Larry O'Brien Trophy and perhaps even the NBA Finals MVP trophy. Stats said he never lost after winning three games. His six three-pointers were huge and they were instrumental in helping the team grasp the trophy with one hand already. Except, none of this has happened yet. Will it? Probably, but what can be assured is this isn't an easy task at all for the Lakers and that they are not entirely favorites to win this.
The Kobe Bryant special jerseys have now seen a loss. That just adds salt to the Lakers' wounds. "We've just got to be better in Game 6 and close the series," he said. Come Sunday, all that LeBron and the team needs is one shot, and in a career, as decorated as his, he just needs one.