Game 1- Lakers Scorch Heat

 The Los Angeles Lakers strolled into the 2020 Finals as the heavy favorite. It's LeBron James's ninth Finals in the last ten years for three different teams. It's Anthony Davis's first Finals, but he has been a top ten player for the last few years. Perennial playoff star Rajon Rondo and former three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard aren't in their prime, but they are key players for the California powerhouse. Danny Green is a champion and Kyle Kuzma is a rising star.

The Lakers finished first in the West before dropping the first game of the playoffs to the eighth seed, Portland. L.A. then won four straight and followed the same pattern against the Houston Rockets in the West semis. They then went up three games to one against the Denver Nuggets, a dangerous place to be. For the first time in NBA history, the Nuggets had come back down 3-1 in two series in the same playoffs. The Lakers won Game Five thanks to a stellar fourth quarter by LeBron.

The Miami Heat finished the regular season fifth in the weaker East. The seemed to come together in the bubble and swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Their records were similar, there was no homecourt advantage due to the pandemic, and the Pacers had key players missing. Miami's most impressive series was against the far-and-away best team in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat jumped out to a surprising three-zero lead and closed out the Bucks, who lost two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for the last two, in five. In took six games to beat Boston, but the Heat held 2-0 and 3-1 leads in the series.

Though Jimmy Butler has been a top fifteen player for most of the last seven years, Miami has played team ball, particularly defensively. Goran Dragic spent much of the season coming off the bench, but the veteran earned a starting job in the playoffs and impressed. Bam Adebayo made his first All Star team and continued to prove that he's a future superstar. Rookies Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro contributed at different points of the season with Nunn falling out of favor in the bubble and Hero coming on.

Miami jumped out to a 13 point lead in the first, 23-10. The Lakers chopped away at the lead before racing by the Heat. The Lakers were up 11 at the half and 20 after three quarters. the Lakers pushed the lead to 32 before the Heat came back to tighter the score a bit. The Lakers took Game 1 116-98.

Butler scored 22 for Miami. Nunn had his best game in the bubble with 18 points late. Andre Iguodala, making his sixth straight NBA Finals, had a decent all around game with 7 points, and team-leading marks in assists (6), and rebounds (5). But Herro struggled with 14 points on 18 shots. Dragic and Adebayo both bowed out with injuries.

LeBron was an assists away from a triple double. Davis poured in 34 points and added 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Danny Green also played well. Alex Caruso scored 10 efficiently off the bench. Even J.R. Smith, Jared Dudley, and Quinn Cook got into the game, a rarity for each.