It is March 4, 2012 and the (22-14) Los Angeles Lakers face the (28-7) Miami Heat who hold the third-best record in the NBA. The two teams will be promoting Hispanic Heritage this month and L.A. will don their Sunday white ‘Los Lakers’ jerseys, while Miami dons their black ‘El Heat’ road jerseys.
This afternoon’s highly anticipated re-match is a game that the Lakers have been looking forward to since their January 19th contest against the Heat. Even with Miami missing guard Dwayne Wade (right ankle), L.A. put up no resistance and lost 98-87. There is a strong possibility that Miami forward Chris Bosh will miss today’s game.
The expectation of this being much more than just a regular season game increased the moment Dwayne Wade made an egregious foul against Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant in the 61st annual NBA All-Star exhibition game. In the aftermath, everyone said the right thing… Wade apologized and Bryant stated that he did not feel that the foul was intentional.
Everyone has asked the question: will the Lakers retaliate? No one will publicly advocate retaliation, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that a player will come off the bench and send the message that the Lakers will not allow their star player to be beat up. There is no doubt that the incident will provide some extra motivation for L.A. This game will be a match up of the league’s best shooting guards.
The Lakers trail the current two-game season series (0-1) against the Heat. Miami swept last year’s season series and L.A. has lost four straight to them. The Lakers are 5-5 overall in their last 10-games against the Heat and are 7-2 in their last nine home games. They are 8-4 against Miami all-time at the Staples Center.
In 28 games (including 24 starts), Kobe Bryant is averaging 24.5 points per game. The Miami Heat has played well this year, appearing to now be the team that some anticipated last year’s version would be. The Lakers are 6-7 against the Eastern Conference this season. Today’s game is a huge challenge that L.A. will be motivated to play.
Another question is: will the Lakers defense be a factor in the outcome of today’s game?
The last time these teams met, L.A. held a two-point lead with the score 10-8 midway through the first quarter. But the Heat went on a 10-0 run and took an 18-10 lead that they never surrendered. The Lakers team that takes the floor at the Staples Center this afternoon is a different team than the one that the Heat beat in January.
Having improved their ball movement, L.A. is doing a better job of moving bodies, rebounding, knocking down shots and receiving a more consistent contribution from their reserves. They have to communicate on defense and stop the dribble penetration of Miami forward LeBron James and the guards. It is imperative that the Lakers do a solid job of defending the pick-and-roll play, getting back in transition, controlling the tempo, controlling the boards, limiting the Heat’s second-chance points and quickly rotating out to open shooters.
L.A. is the league’s best rebounding team, however the purple and gold rank 14th in offensive rebounds. Miami is the league’s best in the defensive rebounding category. The Lakers will need their big three of Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to score 65+ points. They need to have four or more players score in double digits overall and their reserves must score 35+ points. Any player wearing a ‘Los Lakers’ jersey needs to play solid defensively, step up their game and increase their scoring.
Starters
Lakers: D. Fisher, K. Bryant, M. Barnes, P. Gasol, A. Bynum
Heat: M. Chalmers, D. Wade, L. James, C. Bosh, J. Anthony
Tip-off: 12:30 PM PST
Television –
- Los Angeles: ABC
- Miami: ABC
Radio –
- Los Angeles: 710 ESPN (John Ireland & Mychal Thompson)
- Miami: 940 AM WINZ (Mike Inglis & John Crotty)
Injuries –
Lakers:
- Kobe Bryant (Nasal Fracture) Probable
- Steve Blake (Costochaondral Fracture) Probable
Heat:
- Chris Bosh (Personal) Probable
- LeBron James (Mildly Hurt Right Wrist) Probable