By Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, the stalwarts from the Clippers’ backcourt, peacocked across a casino floor in Las Vegas, their team the unquestioned winners after a wild night of free agency. It was the summer of 2019, and all that covered their faces were ear-to-ear smiles as the backcourt basked […]
Pat Riley clarified the comments he made during an interview with the Miami Herald in which he appeared to add an asterisk to this season’s NBA title. “The asterisk is next to the Heat’s name, not the Lakers. Their title is legitimate. Our loss has an asterisk (next) to it. The Lakers were the better […]
Head coach Frank Vogel’s unwavering confidence in his players helped the Los Angeles Lakers get through a tumultuous 2019-20 season that ended with them holding up the Larry O’Brien trophy at the conclusion of a long journey in the NBA bubble. Vogel did a good job of holding players accountable but also making sure no […]
Thousands of Lakers fans gathered outside the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the team’s 17th NBA championship late Sunday, despite pleas by city leaders to avoid the area and large crowds because of the coronavirus. Helicopter footage showed a large raucous and jubilant crowd cheering and setting off fireworks in the streets…
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The final moments of the longest season in NBA history were dominated by a feeling that ran entirely counter to the 13 months that preceded it: Absolute dead certainty. The Lakers smothered the Miami Heat, not surrendering any sliver of space willingly and pummeling them on the other end of…
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers can win the franchise’s 17th championship tonight, with a Game 6 victory over the Miami Heat. Jimmy Butler is coming off a monster performance, finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals and a block in the Heat’s 111-108 victory in Game 5 on Friday. …
While under normal circumstances, Anthony Davis likely would be suspended for a game, the NBA Finals are not at all a normal circumstance and the NBA has decided to go easy on Davis after his backhand slap of Miami’s Jae Crowder. The Los Angeles Lakers currently lead the Miami Heat 3-2 in the Finals.
Official response from the NBA on this shot to the face of @CJC9BOSS from Davis: “We review every play in the games from all angles and there was nothing further to do with this.” https://t.co/7cCMt9dYsZ
Now, the only problem for Davis is making sure his calf is feeling better going into Sunday’s Game 6. While Davis still had an incredible statistical game, Miami’s Jimmy Butler appeared to have a little bit of an easier time scoring when guarded by Davis. While LeBron had one of the best games of his playoff career in Game 5, the Lakers will need more from Davis and everyone else to closeout a gritty Heat squad.
When the NBA’s Last Two Minute report came out on Game 5, it backed the referees who called fouls on the Lakers’ Anthony Davis and Markieff Morris, both of which sent Jimmy Butler to the line in crunch time. (The report did point out a LeBron James foul that was not called, and an Andre Iguodala three seconds that was missed.)
What it did not touch on, because it was not in the last two minutes, was when Anthony Davis hit Jae Crowder‘s face. It happened early in the third quarter when Davis and Crowder got tangled and went to the ground together.
Here is a better look at Anthony Davis hitting Jae Crowder in the face, and shown in comparison to Draymond’s suspension-worthy crotch punch in 2016: pic.twitter.com/lYScUROVEY
It is possible the NBA comes in and gives Davis a retroactive Flagrant Foul call on the play — the league does that semi-regularly — but a suspension seems highly unlikely (despite what Heat fans are calling for). Comparing it to Draymond Green in 2016 is hard because Green has already gotten enough technicals in the playoffs that he was at risk of suspension (seven points led to the suspension). There was a pattern. That was not the case with Davis.
The Miami Heat have given the Los Angeles Lakers everything they have to force a Game 6 despite facing some injury adversity all series. And it looks like it will be much of the same as they try hold on one more night to take the NBA Finals to seven games. Heat guard Goran Dragic […]
The Miami Heat have given the Los Angeles Lakers everything they have to force a Game 6 despite facing some injury adversity all series.
And it looks like it will be much of the same as they try hold on one more night to take the NBA Finals to seven games.
Heat guard Goran Dragic is listed as doubtful to play Sunday after tearing his left plantar fascia in the first game of the series, which has been a huge blow to Miami’s chances of upsetting Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the Lakers look poised to earn the franchise’s 18th title with the help of Anthony Davis. The All-NBA big man reaggravated the right heel contusion he suffered in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets in Friday night’s Game 5, but is listed as probable to play.
Game 6 between the Lakers and Heat is scheduled to tip off Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Miami Heat topped the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but game officials did miss a couple of key calls down the stretch. The first missed call was a Jimmy Butler shooting foul on LeBron James with 1:01 left in the quarter. Butler made contact with James’ head […]
The Miami Heat topped the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but game officials did miss a couple of key calls down the stretch.
The first missed call was a Jimmy Butler shooting foul on LeBron James with 1:01 left in the quarter. Butler made contact with James’ head with an extended arm while driving to the hoop.
L.A. was trailing 105-104 when the missed foul occurred, but James made up for it with a nifty layup to give the Lakers a one-point lead with 58.2 seconds left.
The second missed call was a defensive three-seconds violation on Heat guard Andre Iguodala for not properly clearing the lane with 28 seconds on the clock. The Lakers made up for the mistake once again with another layup, however, and look a one-point lead yet again.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel wasn’t too pleased with the officiating late in Game 5. And he made that perfectly clear after the game.
“I felt two bad calls at the end put Butler to the line, you know, and that’s unfortunate in a game of this magnitude,” Vogel told reporters, via ESPN. “Anthony Davis has a perfect verticality, should be a play-on. And the time before that, Markieff Morris has his hands on the ball — that should be a play-on. They were given four free throws and made it an uphill battle for us. Very disappointed in that aspect of the game.”
The Lakers and Heat meet again Sunday for Game 6 of the Finals, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Duncan Robinson was determined to keep knocking on the door, knocking and knocking, until he started knocking ’em down. The second-year forward’s seven 3-pointers in Game 5 on Friday were huge in helping the Miami Heat hold the fort in the NBA Finals until at least Sunday, when the Lakers have a second opportunity to…