5 talking points from LA Lakers' 90-99 loss to Miami Heat

Don’t be surprised if the LA Lakers don’t make it to the playoffs this year. When you look at their record and compare it with the Heat’s record, you can assume that the Heat are going to throttle the Lakers. But they are still the Lakers. They still have Kobe, Gasol, Howard, World Peace and Steve Nash. That is still a line-up who can beat any opponent on any given day.

“It’s a good measuring stick for us to see how much we’ve improved since last week, when we played against several top teams and they all beat us. This is a big test with the defending champs coming to town.”- said Kobe Bryant. The Lakers did not measure up as they ended up losing 99-90. Here are five talking points of this game:

Memorable last five minutes

The last five minutes saw some helter skelter action. With the score tied at 83, it was anyone’s game. LeBron dived and beat Kobe to a loose ball, in what would have been called a travel many years earlier. Then Ray Allen hit a three to extend the Heat’s lead by 3. Gasol tried to lob an alley to Howard, but the ball was intercepted and James added another two. Nash ended that 7-0 run by hitting a three. On the ensuing possession, Howard air-balled a free throw and made one. Bryant hit a 3 off a Nash dish to tie it at 90 with 2:33 left, and the Lakers never scored again. Wade answered right back with two. Then Ray Allen hit a high arcing jumper over Dwight Howard. And then it was LeBron time, as he scored the last five points for the Heat to put the game to bed.

The King rules

LeBron James was the man of the night. He finished with 39 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. And he shot 17-25. You can’t ask for more, honestly. LeBron James had 11 points in the third quarter and when push came to shove in the last minute of the game, LeBron drove in and gave Miami a 96-90 lead with a jumper. Much ado has been made of LeBron passing up shots in clutch time, not any more however.

Wading into form

LeBron originally came into the Miami Heat expecting to be Wade’s sidekick. That script has been flipped completely. James is the undisputed King. Of late, Wade hasn’t been able to dominate the floor like he did. But tonight he brought it to the floor. He shot 11-20 for 27 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and one block. Although Wade is out of the conversation for MVP, that’s only because he has the luxury of playing with LeBron and doesn’t have to be ‘Flash’ all the time. He’s still can be lethal.

Balanced scoring for the Lakers

Five of the Lakers finished in double figures, as opposed to just Wade and James for the Heat. Gasol and Jamison had 12 each, Howard added 13, World Peace 16 and Kobe led the way with 22 points. But he did it on 8-25 shooting and he had 6 turnovers. Lakers had 16 turnovers in the first half, and still led by one going into the half. Were it not for the fourth quarter, where Kobe kept the Lakers in the game, his shooting percentage for this game would have been horrendous. Fun stat: Howard and Gasol had only 7 shot attempts each. Nash had 8. Their combined shot attempts adds up to 22 shots, three less than Kobe threw up alone. If the Lakers are being hurt by Kobe, that question has been answered now.

Lakers big-men have big problems

How can the Lakers be so bad with such a formidable frontline? Gasol was out of action recently, and in his absence, reserve Earl Clark had been averaging 11.2 points and 10 rebounds per game. Gasol finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. He was clearly not at 100%. Earl Clark had 6 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes of action. The Lakers have an efficient backup at the four, but they need to find the correct mix, maybe Howard and Gasol playing together isn’t the best thing for the Lakers. The Lakers are 7-0 at home when Howard scores at least 22. Howard has been averaging 26.5 points and 15.0 rebounds over last two times. He scores more when he isn’t paired with Gasol. Its not all about the numbers though; Shane Battier was fouled out in 18 minutes of play without scoring but his tenacious defense really bothered the Lakers front-line. Howard and Gasol only took 7 shots each, maybe if they aren’t on the floor together, Kobe can get the ball to one of them. Gasol is so versatile that the Lakers ought to find a way to incorporate him, but since that hasn’t happened, maybe a shake-up is the only solution.

Even though the Lakers have a 17-22 record right now, they played like a play-off team today. But when you are up against the Heat, there’s not much you can do. LeBron James is the best player in the league right now, and he showed why tonight. He’s led the Heat to a 26-12 record this season, and there’s a good chance they will end with a championship this season.