The Miami Heat came out flat-out scorching on Sunday evening, dominating the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the entire game, mostly. It wasn’t until the fourth period, that the Miami Heat decided to allow the LA Lakers to actually make it a game.
Leading by double digits for almost the entirety of the game, a 16-4 run by the Lakers team late in the fourth period allowed them to make it a very close game at the end. Bam Adebayo would eventually foul out of the game, on a questionable sixth call based on how the previous several minutes had gone, with the officials allowing the Lakers to be as physical as they wanted to.
That’s something to shelf for a little bit though. Caleb Martin would continue to be one of the best players on the floor, having one of the biggest plays of the game in the end, stealing an errant Talen Horton-Tucker pass to go full-court and get the bucket that would all be sealed the deal for the Miami Heat.
CALEB. ICED. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/FVGL4fKjBA
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 24, 2022
Duncan Robinson continued his hot shooting Ways from the last contest and Jimmy Butler had himself a night of nights.
The Miami Heat dominated the Lakers on Sunday and though they allowed them to pull close in the end, they still owned them for the most part and got the W.
It was more than enough to bounce back from what happened in the last game against the Atlanta Hawks. He would triple-double, with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists.
With 6:37 to play, Butler gets his 10th rebound and has his franchise-record 10th Heat triple-double. LeBron held the record at 9.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) January 24, 2022
It would not only be crucial to a good Miami Heat win, but it would also be the one to surpass LeBron James for the franchise record. This was a really good win for the Miami Heat and although it finished as it did, they played well for most of the game.
Furthermore and still, though they allowed the Lakers to make it a lot closer than it should’ve been in the end, they dominated it, for the most part, as they should have.
Now, they can’t let games get this close when they’ve all but put it away, but when you play three periods as they did, you chalk that last one up to an anomaly.
Well, that and something else, to go back to that “shelved” thought. As it has been in a bunch of Miami Heat contests this season, perhaps throughout the league, it seems as though the officials want to make sure that you’re focusing on them more than the games.
It’s becoming insane. That’ll be something to keep in mind to moving forward, especially with a tough, physical, and gritty Miami Heat team.
That doesn’t cause them to give up a 16-4 run, purely, but momentum plays a part in that. Officials certainly play a part in the momentum of the game.
However, in any event, it’s always good to beat LeBron James. Always.