NBA Finals MVP LeBron James made sure his latest championship was never in doubt while leading the Lakers to a blowout win over the Miami Heat to secure the 2019-20 title.
Los Angeles defeated Miami 106-93 in Game 6 on Sunday, outlasting the plucky underdogs to claim their 17th championship in franchise history. James secured the fourth title of his illustrious career, leading a third different team to the crown after previously winning with the Heat in 2012 and 2013 and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. The 35-year-old forward, who finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
Butler, so sensational in Games 3 and 5, couldn’t muster the same furious attacks that had keyed Miami’s wins and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. After hitting all 12 of his free throws in Game 5, he missed two in the first half — a sure sign of his fatigue.
Adebayo, a major source of offense in the Eastern Conference finals, never got on track after sustaining a neck injury in Game 1. Duncan Robinson, who hit seven three-pointers in Game 5, was held to six points in the first half as the Lakers tightened up their perimeter defense.
The Heat activated Goran Dragic for the first time since he left Game 1 with a plantar tear. The 34-year-old point guard had tested his foot earlier in the series but hadn’t been cleared medically until Sunday. While his return seemed bound to provide a morale boost, he scored just two points in six minutes off the bench in the first half.
More than a year after they assembled for media day and more than three months after they arrived at the Disney World bubble, the Lakers finished the job. (Washingtonpost.com)
