The Miami Heat had plenty of opportunities to tie this series and fell short. Like the last game, Miami showed their defensive toughness early, making it difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers to score in the half-court. However, the Lakers snatched more 50-50 balls and made more plays in the end.
With Los Angeles leading the series 3-1, the Heat are facing a must-win situation in Game 5.
Here are my four big takeaways from Miami’s loss against the Lakers.
Jimmy cools down in second half
Jimmy Butler started the game off strong, scoring 11 points while going 5-for-5 from the field in the opening quarter. Just as Butler did in Game 3, he was very aggressive on both ends of the floor. However, Butler was quiet in the second half, and you have to credit the Lakers’ defense for that. Instead of going over the screen, the Lakers defenders stayed under it. Though Butler almost had a triple-double, he was very quiet offensively after halftime.
Barista still perfect after 12 minutes
11 Pts | 5-5 FG pic.twitter.com/Tzt2wbmfWD
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 7, 2020
Butler finished the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.
Bam returns
Miami’s All-Star center Bam Adebayo was back in the lineup on Tuesday, despite concerns about his injury. The Heat center appeared to be 100 percent, with him hitting the floor multiple times and getting right back up. Adebayo started the game guarding Anthony Davis and made it tough for him early. He also showed his true value by doing everything else on the floor. His passing, rebounding, and defense were on full display in Game 4. While Butler is the team’s best player, Bam is the heartbeat of the team.
Adebayo finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds.
Cold shooting from downtown
Miami has been a great three-point shooting team all season, but that hasn’t been the case in these NBA Finals. Tyler Herro and Jae Crowder both struggled from downtown. The team had a couple of good looks from downtown but couldn’t knock them down. When playing a great defensive team like the Lakers, you got to knock down the open shots. Miami needs to take advantage soon or they’ll be home after game five.
The team shot 11 of 32 from beyond the arc.
Valuing possessions
In the playoffs, every possession matters. Miami had plenty of empty possessions on Tuesday. Just look at the last few seconds of the third period, for example. Instead of holding the ball for the last shot, they took a quick jumper and fouled Anthony Davis with the team already in the penalty. The team was simply missing a floor general, like Goran Dragic. There were also moments in the fourth period where Goran could’ve given them some timely buckets.
Unfortunately, Dragic is still sidelined. He tried to give it a go during warmups, but he struggled with the defensive drills. There’s a great chance Goran will likely sit out until next season.
Next up: Game 5 is Friday at 9 p.m. ET
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