Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers is set to be played at 7:30 P.M. Eastern Sunday night on ABC. The series has gone back and forth, with the Lakers leading 3-2. The Lakers are five-point favorites (which is the lowest spread of the series), with the over/under set at 215.5.
While Jimmy Butler and LeBron James have been the stars of the series, others have stepped up to make their mark on the NBA Finals. Many declared the series a wrap after the Lakers won Game 2, especially when Miami lost Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo. But the Heat have continued to scrap and claw their way back and are now one win away from taking it the distance.
The Lakers weren’t able to close it out in Game 5, making several mistakes on the game’s final sequence leading to Miami’s win. On a night when LeBron James couldn’t miss, he kicked to an open Danny Green for a three. Green missed it, and after a Markieff Morris offensive rebound, the Lakers turned the ball over when Morris threw it out of bounds.
Lakers Look to End It
The Lakers couldn’t close the series in Game 5, and they’ve got plenty of regrets about it. They wasted a dominant performance from LeBron. Luckily, Anthony Davis was healthy enough to finish the game, and he is cleared to play Sunday night.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was hitting bigtime shots throughout the night, but it was LeBron doing it all in the clutch, scoring 40 points to match with 13 rebounds, that had L.A. on the cusp of the championship.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, Butler was one fire, scoring 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Butler completed the triple-double with 12 rebounds and 11 assists (not to mention five steals and a block, defensively).
In what might have been the most exciting game of the bubble, the Lakers came up on the short end. They have another shot in Game 6 to put things away.
Heat Trying to Force Game 7
Miami survived a hectic finish in Game 5, and they have been given another chance. They became the first team to beat the Lakers when they wear their special “Black Mamba” jerseys (now 4-1) with the victory. With momentum on their side, the Heat need two more wins to claim the title.
The fact that Miami could push the series to six games given their injuries and lack of NBA Finals experience is incredible. Dragic was playing like an All-Star throughout the playoffs, and the Heat have gone 2-2 in the games he has missed. Adebayo missed two games, and the Heat still managed a win.
All seven players who saw the court for Miami in Game 5 were all invaluable in their effort. They will need to have taken advantage of a day off to rest, as they will likely be short-benched again. Dragic is still listed as “Questionable” on the injury report.
Another Close Finish
The game will come to the wire again. It will come down to a battle between Jimmy Butler and LeBron James. While the Lakers will clinch their 17th NBA Title, Miami will cover in a close one.
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