Was the Heat overtaken by fatigue, Jimmy Butler (author of 12 points) in the lead, being overwhelmed by the power of his opponent? Or is it the tactical move attempted by Frank Vogel, to get Dwight Howard out of the starting five in favor of Alex Caruso, replacing Anthony Davis closer to the circle, which changed everything?
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A demonstration from the first period
Still, the meeting turned into a show of force for Los Angeles. Miami tried to hang on for a quarter-time (28-20, 12th), before the Lakers moved up a gear, in power, omnipresent in the racket, more skilful, more lively, almost always the first on the ball. Four ” angelenos ” players surpassed the ten-point mark even before the break: Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (15 points each), Rajon Rondo (13 of his 19 total) and LeBron James (11).
The Rondo of the second quarter had little to envy that of the Boston Celtics title in 2008. The substitute point guard appeared on a cloud, hitting his first six shots, orchestrating an inward-looking game perfectly. . The Lakers scored 34 points in the paint in the first twenty-four minutes. All while avoiding falling into their usual pitfalls, loss of ball (only 5 against 9 for Miami, still on the first act).
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