LA Lakers vs Miami Heat Prediction & Match Preview - October 4th, 2020 | NBA Finals Game 3

Match Details

Fixture: LA Lakers vs Miami Heat - NBA Finals Game 3

Date & Time: Sunday, October 4th, 7.30 PM ET (Sunday, 5 AM IST)

Venue: AdventHealth Arena, Orlando, FL

The LA Lakers continued their impressive run in the NBA Finals on Friday night to beat the Miami Heat 124-114 in Game 2. LeBron James and Anthony Davis looked unstoppable as they went on to score 33 and 32 points apiece.

With the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic sitting out in Game 2, the LA Lakers' offensive prowess proved too much to handle for the Heat defense. The Heat will be desperate to make a strong comeback in Game 3 to stay alive in the series.

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LA Lakers Preview

The LA Lakers are just two games away from winning it all in 2020. Anthony Davis dominated in the paint against a short-handed Miami defense and made 15 field goals out of his 20 attempts.

The LA Lakers' Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in with double-digit scores to ensure a comfortable victory in Game 2.

HIGHLIGHTS: @KingJames pours in 33 pts, 9 reb and 9 ast as the Lakers take Game 2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zKdEzyoM50

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 3, 2020

The James-Davis duo will continue to impose their will on the opponents as they look to take a decisive 3-0 lead on Sunday. The Purple and Gold have so far been too strong for Jimmy Butler and co, and there's no reason to believe it'll be any different during the rest of the NBA Finals.

Key Player - LeBron James

2020 NBA Finals - Game Two

LeBron James missed out on recording triple-doubles by the narrowest of margins in both the games in the series. He'll be looking to make a strong statement for his Finals MVP case as he takes on the Miami Heat in Game 3. The Heat defenders have either been too small or too slow against King James, and he will continue to bully his way to the rim during the remainder of the series.

LA Lakers Predicted Lineup

LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard

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Miami Heat Preview

The Miami Heat are in all kinds of trouble. The difficult task of beating the LA Lakers has now become near-impossible after two of their key players got injured. Their 3-point shooting has suddenly gone cold, and they don't have the size or the skill to matchup with Anthony Davis in the paint. Praying for Bam Adebayo's return in Game 3 might be the Miami Heat's only option at this moment.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo (neck strain) tells @YahooSports he plans to return for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. https://t.co/dnQrld1bCi pic.twitter.com/gY54qg1nyz

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 3, 2020

The positives from Game 2, if any, have been their bench's performance on the offensive end. Kelly Olynyk's 24 points and Kendrick Nunn's 13 helped the Miami Heat stay at a striking distance on Friday night.

Key Player - Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler has been carrying a lot of pressure on his shoulders since the series began. Injuries to Dragic and Adebayo have only made things worse.

Butler stepped it up a notch in Game 2 as he went on to score 25 points with 13 assists. However, given the talent on LA Lakers' roster, Jimmy Buckets has to bring his A-game on Sunday night to give the Miami Heat a fighting chance.

Miami Heat Predicted Lineup

Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, Bam Adebayo

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Heat vs Lakers Prediction

It'll be foolish to bet against the LA Lakers at this point. Their offense has been flawless so far in the series and they've shown no signs of slowing down. No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA playoff history, and the LA Lakers are expected to go one step closer to the NBA title on Sunday night.

Where to watch Heat vs Lakers?

The 2020 NBA Finals is being broadcasted exclusively on ABC in the United States. Fans in India can tune in to Sony Six. You can also live stream the same via NBA League Pass.

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