LA Lakers vs. Miami Heat: LeBron James Proves He Can Win on His Own
Superstar shooting guard Dwyane Wade may have been out of the lineup, but that didn't stop LeBron James and the Miami Heat as they impressively upended the Los Angeles Lakers 98-87 last night at home.
LeBron led all scorers with 31 points while chipping in eight rebounds and eight assists as well. That was enough to survive 50 combined points from the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, as production through the rest of Los Angeles' lineup was sparse.
What it means
With the win the Heat improved to 10-4, while the Lakers dropped to 10-6. It's unknown how long the Heat will be without Wade due to his latest ankle injury, but Miami proved it was capable of beating elite teams without its full allotment of stars.
LeBron did his best Michael Jordan impression, albeit on a much smaller scale, as he battled flu-like symptoms, yet still turned in a dominant performance. The illness certainly didn't affect LeBron's will to win as he nearly plowed over Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria in the front row while pursuing a steal in the second quarter.
What's next?
The Heat were in control for the entirety of the game, so the Lakers will be left looking for answers as they prepare for a road contest against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The Lakers dropped to 1-5 on the road this season in the loss, while Miami improved to 5-1 on home court.
Miami will try to keep its momentum rolling forward after wins over the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs as it has a date with the Philadelphia 76ers. Beating two elite teams in a row without Wade certainly has to give the Heat a ton of confidence moving forward.
James didn't get a huge amount of help on the offensive end against the Lakers, but Chris Bosh chipped in 15 points and Shane Battier did a nice job guarding the red-hot Bryant. The Heat played excellent team defense as well, which was their hallmark in last season's run to the NBA Finals.
After beating Los Angeles so decisively, head coach Erik Spoelstra has the luxury of allowing Wade to rest his ankle for as long as he needs. If Miami can play this well when it is without one of the best players in basketball, it has to be considered the overwhelming title favorite when D-Wade gets back in the fold.
Even with the loss, the Lakers are still unquestionably one of the top teams in the Western Conference. They trail the Los Angeles Clippers in the Pacific Division based on percentage points, but have done well to survive the league's most rigorous early-season schedule.
Few teams are more veteran-laden than the Lakers, so the condensed schedule certainly can't be easy on them. With Lamar Odom in Dallas depth has been a bit of a problem, but if Bryant, Gasol and center Andrew Bynum continue to produce at their current rates, the Lakers should have no problem bouncing back.
