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Updated September 30th, 2020 at 21:21 IST

NBA Finals 2020: Lakers vs Heat key players, storylines and prediction

NBA Finals 2020: LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are all set to lock horns with Jimmy Butler and Miami Heat in Game 1 on Wednesday (Thursday IST).

Reported by: Devika Pawar
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This year's NBA Finals come after an extended 2019-20 season, featuring one expected team – Los Angeles Lakers – and one surprise – Miami Heat. While the Lakers were at the top of the Western Conference the entire season, the Heat entered the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the East. Led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami beat the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics to reach the finals for the first time since 2014. The Lakers, spearheaded by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, will play the NBA Finals after a 10-year drought. 

Also read | NBA reveals incredible-looking finals court from Disney Bubble in Orlando

NBA Finals 2020: Lakers vs Heat regular season, head to head

The last time the Heat were in the finals, James was a part of the Heat roster. The Lakers, however, were led by late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who won them their 16th NBA title. If the Lakers bag this title, they will be tied with the Boston Celtics for the most number of titles won by a franchise. The Heat, who are the first No. 5 seed to reach the finals since the 1983-84 season, will become the sixth team to win four or more NBA titles if they manage to come out on top. Interestingly, both the Heat and the Lakers finished 10th in their respective conferences last year, not qualifying for the playoffs. 

This is also the first time the two teams will clash in an NBA Final. LeBron James has become the first NBA player to play a final for three different teams in what will also be his tenth NBA finals appearance. Currently, only NBA greats Bill Russell (12), Same Jones (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have played 10 or more NBA Finals. The Heat will look to win their fourth title, two of which were won while James was in Miami.

Lakers vs Heat regular season

  • November 8, 2019 (November 9 IST): Lakers 95, Heat 80
  • December 13, 2019 (December 14 IST): Lakers 113, Heat 110

Also read | The NBA Finals 2020: Why the Heat will win the championship

NBA Finals 2020 Lakers vs Heat prediction

Anthony Davis has been exceptional this postseason, averaging 28.8 points and 9.3 assists per game. He is also the only player who averaged more than 30 during the conference finals against Denver. LeBron James follows with 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists. The three-time NBA champion is leading the playoffs with 11 double-doubles and four triple-doubles, becoming one of only five players to have scored 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in the playoffs. 

Davis (78.8%) and James (75.7%) also rank first and second respectively in restricted-area field goal percentage. Kyle Kuzma ranks sixth. The team is also leading the postseason with 15 deflections per game and 5.7 blocks per game. 

Bam Adebayo, expected to go head to head with fellow University of Kentucky alum Davis, accounts for 35.3% of his team's rebounds while on the court. Goran Dragic is averaging a team-high 20.9 points in the playoffs, followed by Jimmy Butler with 20.7 per game. Rookie Tyler Herro, who was pivotal in their victory against the Celtics, is shooting 25-for-42 (59.5%) from mid-range, better than both Dragic (31.6%) and Butler (35.9%). 

Lakers vs Heat prediction: Lakers will secure an early Game 1 lead, winning the game by a narrow margin

Also read | LeBron and the Heat, together again at the NBA Finals 2020

NBA Finals schedule: Lakers vs Heat schedule and live streaming

  • Date and Time: September 30, Wednesday, 9:00 pm EST (October 1, Thursday, 6:30 am IST)
  • Venue: Disney Wide World of Sports -- Orlando, Florida
  • Live broadcast: ABC (USA), Sony Six (India)

Live streaming details

  • YouTube TV, Sling TV, FuboTV or an AT&T TV NOW (USA)
  • Sony LIV, FanCode, NBA App (India)

Also read | NBA Finals schedule: Lakers vs Heat NBA Finals 2020 schedule, start date and live stream

(Image credits: NBA site, AP)

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Published September 30th, 2020 at 21:21 IST

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