LA's Dynamic Duo Is Unstoppable and Six Other Observations From Game 2

Everyone thought it would be a blowout. It turned out to be closer than expected. But the results are all that really matter in the end and behind the unstoppable duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Lakers are two wins away from a title.

Davis and James put up monster numbers Friday to give Los Angeles a 124-114 victory and a 2-0 series lead over the severely undermanned Heat that made it a much more competitive contest compared to Game 1. But once again the Lakers’ dynamic duo was sensational and dominant, combining for 65 points—33 for LeBron, 32 for AD. And while the Heat put up a hell of a better fight after that debacle of a Game 1, their best efforts weren’t nearly enough to give the Lakers a serious scare.

Or change anyone's opinion that Miami might need a miracle to avoid a sweep. 

Missing the services of starters Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo—two of Miami’s most indispensable players who suffered injuries in Game 1—the Heat did manage to put up a blistering 39 points in the third quarter to keep the game close enough to prevent a second straight Lakers rout. But not having Dragic and Adebayo only exacerbated the Heat’s issues from Game 1—they once again struggled to handle LA’s superior size, watched the Lakers do their best Houston Rockets impression by launching a Finals record 47 3-pointers (LA hit 16 of ‘em), and saw their 2-3 zone defense fall flat against the relentless LA offense. 

Game 3 is Sunday and at this point it looks like the only thing preventing the Lakers from securing the franchise’s 17th championship would be an asteroid hitting Earth. We know Miami can’t hang with LA—especially when the Lakers are hitting enough of their outside shots and their superstars are cooking—and the odds that Heat could win four of the next five games to pull off the monumental upset are beyond astronomical. 

The Lakers improved to 20-1 this season when James and Davis combine for 60 points or more. "Those two were huge tonight and a big reason for the win," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. While we can argue who should be the frontrunner for Finals MVP honors— James messed around and almost had another triple-double, falling one rebound and assist short—there’s no denying that Davis has been scintillating in the paint for the Lakers after he hit 15-of-20 attempts Friday.

LA’s size and physicality overwhelmed Miami—the Lakers started three guys basically 7’ or taller (Davis, Dwight Howard, and LeBron because he’s a lot closer to 7’ than he is his listed 6’9”)—and subsequently Miami was out-rebounded and out-muscled. Adebayo’s absence on both ends of the floor was glaring and the Heat better hope he can magically return to the lineup Sunday if the series is extended past Game 4 scheduled for Tuesday.

"In those moments of truth when we had opportunities to get the game closer, it usually seemed to end up in some kind of offensive rebound or something near the basket," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But this is the deal and if you want something badly enough, you'll figure out how to overcome it. They have great size and Anthony Davis is an elite player. We're trying to get something accomplished and you just have to go to another level. That's the bottom line."

Jimmy Butler, playing on a bum ankle, was the Heat's leading scorer, pouring in 25 points, 13 assists, and 8 boards over nearly 45 minutes—he appropriately earned big praise from Spoelstra—while Kelly Olynyk had 24 coming off the bench, but the Heat needed more big bodies and firepower. The Lakers bench was superior with Rajon Rondo morphing into Playoff Rondo again, hitting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and finishing with 16 points and 10 assists. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each added 11. 

Here are six more observations from Game 2.

The Lakers have been lucky to have a ton of legendary players wear the purple and gold over the decades. And for sure the franchise has had its fair share of dynamic duos. LeBron and AD are the latest. 

Of note from Friday, the pair became the first Lakers teammates to score 30 points apiece in a Finals game since 2002 when Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant—the last great Lakers duo—did it. And after Game 2, the LA media wanted to know what it felt like for LA's current superstars to be mentioned in the same sentence as Shaq and Kobe. LeBron was predictably humbled. 

"They were very dominant in what they did on the floor, on both sides of the floor," James said. "So to be in the conversation with those two guys, myself and Anthony, myself and AD—he's going to kill me—myself and AD, is just very humbling, because I know I grew up watching those guys. I grew up admiring Kobe; obviously, a kid coming straight out of high school. Admired that, as a kid when I was young, and obviously got the opportunity. And the force that Shaq played with. It's very humbling that we can be even mentioned with those greats."

James was later asked to explain the differences between Shaq and Kobe and their style of play compared to his and AD's.

"Well, I guess if you look in the sense of the size and the power and the speed that Shaq at his size played with, you could look at my game throughout the course of my career and say that," James said. "And then you look at the elegance and the ability to shoot the ball and the ability to play in the paint as well as post up and get to the perimeter, I guess you can say that you can have some of AD's game that could compare to Kobe's game in that sense.

"I guess all four of us, we have a winning mentality and we just tried to make enough plays out on the floor throughout the course of the game that would benefit not only ourselves individually, but for the most important thing, for the better of the team. I can't even believe I'm up here talking about myself and AD with Kobe and Shaq." 

AD set it straight who is Shaq and Kobe on this Lakers squad. 

"He's Kobe because he handles the ball, and I'm Shaq because I play in the post," Davis said. 

I’m drawing a blank on all the other contenders for this mythical award right now, but what Kendrick Nunn pulled off against Davis in the fourth quarter defies logic.

Kendrick Nunn comes across for the SWAT! #NBAFinals @MiamiHEAT 101@Lakers 113

5:50 left in Game 2 on ABC pic.twitter.com/3GfZry5817

— NBA (@NBA) October 3, 2020

Nunn, who played 29 minutes and scored 13 points off the bench, is 6’2” and Davis is basically 7’. AD has been a beast around the basket for the Lakers this series and pretty much has had his way just about every possession. But for one play a Heat guard schooled the Lakers big in spectacular fashion.

The low-key funniest moment of the game just might have come in the first quarter came when James drew a charge on Tyler Herro. We’re not accusing LeBron of flopping on the play, but the Heat guard, who became the youngest player in NBA history to start a Finals game Friday, looks like a stick figure. He’s listed at 195 pounds—which seems preposterous—while James is built like a linebacker and listed at 250 pounds. The only way Herro should barrel over LeBron on his way to the rim is if he’s behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer.