Lakers in 3-1 command over Heat in NBA Finals, but don’t write off Miami just yet | Opinion
The Miami Heat lost Tuesday night to fall into a 3-1 NBA Finals hole against the Los Angeles Lakers. History tells us that is almost a death knell. That the trailing team has a prayer’s chance — but that even the most devout of fans might not to realistically be able to muster much confidence.
Miami fell 102-96 in Game 4 to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
No matter.
No matter the result of the next game (or two, or three), the Heat has done itself well. It almost feels as if it has already won at this point, given the hand it was dealt and had to play.
The odds are long now for Miami. We all know it. The math declares it. When you’re down 3-1 in a best-of-7 championship series, you have hope ... but, realistically, only if you’re a face-painted-in-team-colors kind of fan.
In baseball’s World Series the Cubs came from 3-1 down to beat the Indians in 2016. But before that the anomaly had not shown itself since 1985.
In hockey’s Stanley Cup Final a team down 3-1 hasn’t raised Lord Stanley’s chalice since ... 1942.
In the NBA Finals., more pertinently, in league history, only Cleveland, in 2016, has come back from that crater’s hole. It was against a Golden State team that had gone a record 73-9 during the season. It was James who engineered that particular miracle.
So it can happen.
Now it’s LeBron on the other side to make sure it doesn’t, against his former team. With Anthony Davis at his side.
Does the Heat look scared?
You could argue it should be.
Clearly, the Heat is not.
This is the Heat team that steamrolled Indiana in the first round of the playoffs and then eliminated Giannis Antetokounmpo and No. 1 seed Milwaukee in the second.
The Lakers with LeBron and A.D. were supposed to dominate fifth-seeded Miami, which didn’t even make the playoffs the year before.
And that was before starters and key players Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic were lost to injuries in the series.
Dragic remains out with a foot injury, tearfully, as he described it Tuesday. Adebayo played well in his return, though surely not 100 percent.
Do you imagine what this Finals might have looked like had the Heat been full strength?
Fair question, actually.
It does make you wonder.
LeBron and Davis combined for 50 points Tuesday night (ho hum). Jimmy Butler had 22, Tyler Herro 21 and Adebayo 15 for the Heat.
And Game 4 was taut until the finish, even with Miami short-handed.
The Lakers were supposed to be this far, to be in it and win it. . Miami was not.
However the NBA Finals play out from here, it’s tough to see this as anything but a positive for the Miami Heat.
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 11:52 PM.
