Miami Heat's Bid For a Championship Ends With Loss to Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6
The Miami Heat's magical run in the NBA playoffs has finally ended.
The Heat lost 106-93 to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday in Game 6 of the Finals. The Lakers won the best-of-seven series 4-2, capturing their first championship since 2010.
The Heat, who staved off elimination behind Jimmy Butler's triple-double in Game 5, were no match for LeBron James. He finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, his 11th triple-double in Finals history.
The Lakers took control in the second quarter after outscoring the Heat 36-16. Even with the return of guard Goran Dragic late in the first quarter, the Heat could not recover. Dragic had been out since Game 1 because of a foot injury.
Still, the Heat can consider the season a success. They entered as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the sixth Finals in franchise history. Forward Jimmy Butler, who was acquired in a trade last summer, finished with 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lakers title comes almost nine months after the death of legend Kobe Bryant, who played in Los Angeles for 20 seasons. Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were among those killed in a helicopter crash in January.
This is the Heat's first Finals loss since 2014 against the San Antonio Spurs, the last year James was in Miami before returning to play with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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