Do the Miami Heat have any chance of erasing their 3-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals?
Think again. And the story of Closeout LeBron.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, LeBron James has a winning percentage of 79. 2 in 48 final games, this is the one for any player who has played at least 25 final games. He lost only one of the games in his four playoffs to the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014 to 2018.
To put that in context, Michael Jordan was 30-13, Kobe Bryant was 32-16 and Tim Duncan 35-14 in the final games. In addition to James’ 38-10 record, he never lost a game of the final when he had a chance to finish the series: he has a 3-0 record on those occasions.
We can count a thousand shots about LeBron’s killer instinct, but what settings for him in the box in those games?
Historically, James has risen to the task. In the first chance of a career final in 2012, with the Heat at 3-1 against an Oklahoma City Thunder team led by Kevin Durant, James had a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and thirteen assists to put the Thunder out. of the game . . . Although Oklahoma City kept it below its average of 29. 3 points at this point in the series, it averaged more than twice as many assists as it averaged.
The following year, James delivered masterful functionality opposed to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 when Miami surpassed a 3-2 deficit for his name so far in so many years. His line in that game 37 problems and 12 rebounds. In the last six. games in the series, the Spurs kept James at 23. 3 issues.
But let’s go beyond individual statistics. Heat’s defensive score with James saw a dramatic improvement in Game 7 in games 1-6, his defensive score was 109. 4 with him on the field, but in Game 7 he fell to 95. 3.
James’ next chance in a decisive final came behind the Golden State Warriors’ 73 wins in game 7 in 2016. He made an iconic performance, scoring it with a “lockdown” on Andre Iguodala. While his score fell below his series average, he finished triple-double with 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds plus 3 plugs.
The Cavs’ defensive score with James in the box for Game 7 97. 7, an improvement over 105. 2 in the last six games.
This year’s Lakers have not surpassed five games in their last 3 playoffs, but in those 5 games, James had a brilliant performance.
Against the brave Portland Trail Blazers, he lost his triple-double moment and went from an average of 25. 3 problems in the first four games to a rash for 36 tracks and 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
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James stepped forward in his game when he had a chance against James Harden and the Houston Rockets in the convention semifinals. He controlled the fifth game from the start, expanding his usage rate from 29. 6 in the series to 40. 9. , brought his defense. The Lakers’ defensive score with James in the area went from 106. 3 in the first four games to 98. 4 in the fifth game.
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Lou Williams returns for a practice session for the sixth boy of the year
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Two years ago, the kings sent Boogie to the pelicans.
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James showed off his killer instincts in the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets. In the first four games of the series, he averaged 24. 3 points, 9. 0 rebounds and 8. 8 assists.
But once the Lakers finished 3-1, James became that shark again, exploded for 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists with an increase in the usage rate to 33. 3 and an improvement in the defensive rate of 9. 3.
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Devin Booker made with a tear of punctuation
Twenty-nine years ago, Jordan lost points, the record for his career
Bosh wears his T-shirt to the miami rafters
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Lou Williams returns for a practice session for the sixth boy of the year
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Eight years ago, the Nuggets switched Melo to the Knicks
Two years ago, the kings sent Boogie to the pelicans.
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In the first four games of the series combined, James made some smart numbers, but when it comes time to send other groups to pack their bags, it becomes nuclear.
In the 12-game finals before this year’s final, he averaged 24. 3 points, 9. 8 rebounds and 8. 8 assists and fired 32. 8% of three.
In all three games five of those series, he has 34. 3 points, 12. 3 rebounds and 9. 0 assists and fired 42. 1% out of 3 with a defensive score of less than a hundred while on the field.
The numbers are amazing, but James’ biggest replacement in those final games is his mood. After completing the Nuggets in Game 5, he said, “I’ve had the mindset that in a final game for me personally, I’m as desperate as the team we’re looking to close. I don’t need to play another game. “
James continued: “I need to be as desperate as my opponent, as desperate as the other team, the player I’m lined up against, the training team on the other side. It’s just who I am. It’s just a mindset that I’m going to have compatibility with at the same time. “
This desperation leads James to be much more aggressive. That’s why he went from an average of 1, 5 and 3 shots to 19 in the fifth game against Portland. That’s why, at the start of the fifth game against Houston, he had 11 problems in the first quarter, nearly double his 6. 8 of the last four games. That’s why he threw 2 five shots at Denver in Game Five after an 18-year average.
James has no interest in giving a dying team a chance.
In the final he averaged 27. 8 points, 11. 0 rebounds and 8. 5 assists and fired 36. 4% in three. The Lakers’ defensive score with him in the area is 110. 9.
If history has told us anything, expect James to take care of the warmth business.
Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men’s national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA.
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