By Ansharah Asif
The Los Angeles Lakers franchise claimed its 17th championship in a 106-93 victory over the Miami Heat and their 12th championship in Los Angeles.
National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals most valuable player (MVP), LeBron James finished the night with a triple-double. Triple-double refers to when a player achieves double figures in any of the three categories of shots scored, assists, rebounds, steals and shot blocks. James helped lead the Lakers with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to earn NBA Finals MVP with three different teams.
“I felt that vibe. I felt that pressure,” James told ESPN. “I felt like, for me personally, this was one of the biggest games of my career.”
In Game One, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso scored in the double-digits for the Lakers. With the Lakers leading with 116 points, two of the Miami Heat players, Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo, were unable to continue playing as they were both injured, resulting in Miami Heat to fall behind at 98 points.
In Game Two, James and Anthony Davis set the bar high giving their fans hope of a clean sweep. James finished with 33 points, nine assists and nine rebounds while Davis contributed 32 points leading the Lakers with 124 points and the Miami Heat with 114. James and Davis became the first duo since 2002 to score 32 points each.
In Game Three, Miami Heat led the game with a whopping 115 points as Jimmy Butler surpassed a triple-double with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists to win the game. In addition, rookie Tyler Herro scored 17 points. The Lakers led with 104 points making Game Three a win for the Miami Heat.
In Game Four, the audience was shocked to see two deep-threes from Davis while Rajon Rondo worked through the defense to make sure his teammates had the circumstances needed to score. They helped lead the Lakers with 102 points leaving behind the Miami Heat at 96 points.
In Game Five, while Duncan Robinson hit seven three-pointers for the Heat, Davis was perfect at the free-throw line and ended the game with 28 points. James and Butler gave it their all and ended the night with triple-doubles. Butler played 47 out of 48 minutes of the game and led the Heat to victory with 111 points leaving behind the Lakers at 108 points.
In the first quarter of Game Six, James jumped right into the game with nine points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Davis had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and two fouls in the opening 12 minutes. Robinson led the Heat with six points following Kendrick Nunn’s three-pointer The Lakers got back in the lead as James set six points and four rebounds, resulting in the Lakers winning the first quarter with 28 points and the Miami Heat falling behind with 20 points.
In the second quarter of Game Six, the Lakers led with 64 points. Davis had 15 points, while LeBron had 11 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, and Rodo had 13 points off the bench. Butler and Crowder led the Heat with eight points each following the Lakers extending the lead to 22 points. Along with Rondo’s 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in eight minutes off the bench and James’s layup, the Lakers lead halftime with 36 points.
In third quarter with Lakers in the lead, LeBron James closes in on the Finals triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists late in the third. The Lakers lead with 23 points leaving behind the Miami Heat at 22 points.
As the players dove into the fourth quarter, James exited the game with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists while Anthony Davis finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds. The Heat scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, but the Lakers remained well in front 106-93. The Lakers have officially earned the title of NBA winners of 2K20.
Fountain Valley high school junior, Natalie Ayvazian, who has been a huge fan of the Lakers for eight years and has played basketball herself for four years states, “I definitely believe the Lakers deserved as when they play they play with passion which is seen throughout all of their practices, interviews, and games. They always have such a positive mindset eventhrough long hours of practice. They are a huge inspiration to me and they represent a level of passion and motivation I hope to aspire”.
“It doesn’t matter where it is if you win a championship — a bubble, Miami, Golden State,” James told Field Level Media. “When you get to this point, it is one of the greatest feelings in the world for a basketball player.”
