The Miami Heat were prepared to host the Los Angeles Lakers. The last time these two teams saw each other down in Florida was during the 2020 NBA Finals. Los Angeles won the series 4-2 and became the champions. Miami bared that in mind once the regular season came around. Prior to this game, they beat Los Angeles on February 20th with a 96-94 score. The team was aiming to get a season-series sweep tonight. Evidently, Magic City got their long-awaited revenge.
Miami was up 5 early on, but a three-pointer by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope bought Los Angeles within 2. Yet as the quarter went on, they lost their footing. Miami took a 10-point lead at the 7:29 mark. Los Angeles responded with a 7-0 run. A foul on Jimmy Butler ended that run as he went to the line and made his free-throw. Miami’s lead was then shortened to 4. Toward the end of the quarter, Los Angeles went on yet another run, this time going 11-1. The game was tied at 21 with just under 5 minutes remaining. Eventually, Miami went into the second 32-27.
Just about 3 minutes into the second quarter, Miami took an 11-point advantage. However, Los Angeles let it be known that they were not going anywhere. Montrezl Harrell’s 2 free throws gave them their first lead of the game. It did not take long for Miami to come back, though. The game was all tied at 54 with a little under 2 minutes remaining. Nonetheless, a dunk by Harrell sent Los Angeles into the half up 56-54.
Right out the locker rooms, Andre Drummond was fouled by Bam Adebayo and sent to the line. Los Angeles then had a 4-point advantage. Butler’s jump shot tied it, and a bucket from behind the arc by Victor Oladipo gave Miami the lead back. From that point on, the Lakers had not retaken the lead, but they kept it close. It was an 83-80 game going into the fourth quarter.
Miami came out hot in the final stretch and was up by 12 the first 5 minutes into the quarter. However, by the time the halfway point had come, Los Angeles was still hanging around. Caldwell-Pope hit another basket from downtown, and it was back to a three-point game. That was the closest they were able to get. Miami led by 10 with a minute left, but by the end of the game, they walked out with a 110-104 victory.
With this win, Miami has swept Los Angeles in the regular season – something they have not done since the 2014-15 season. Butler led the team with 28 points, Oladipo put up 18, and Adebayo contributed 13. On the opposing side, Caldwell-Pope also dropped 28 and led the way for Los Angeles. Behind him was Drummond with 15.
Butler made it clear that despite the playoff push, they are focused on one game at a time.
“We’re playing the right way and stringing together wins that’s it,” he said. “Be playing your best basketball at the right time,” he continued. “When the playoffs get here you worry about that whenever it’s time.”
Up Next:
Los Angeles will visit Brooklyn to play the Nets on Saturday, April 10th at 8:30 pm.
Miami will travel to Portland to face the Trailblazers on Sunday, April 11th at 10:00 pm.
