NBA Finals 2020: Game 5 TV Schedule, Odds, Heat vs. Lakers Predictions
October 9, 2020
By now, almost everyone, especially those in and around Los Angeles, has declared the series between the Lakers and the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals over.
The Lakers are up 3-1. The Heat are shorthanded and, well, short compared to the height and length of their opponent. So, just go ahead and give the Larry O'Brien to LeBron James and turn the lights out on the bubble.
Even the fat lady is warming up her vocal chords right now.
But those in and around the 305 area code have not given up on their team. Jimmy Butler definitely has not given up on his team. Game 5 is a must-win for Miami, obviously, so they will come out and literally leave everything on the floor.
Not surprisingly, L.A. is a seven-point favorite, but like any game, this one has to be played and the winner will make themselves known by the final buzzer.
NBA Finals Game 5 Information
Start Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: fuboTV
Game 5 Odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread: Los Angeles Lakers (-7)
Over/Under: 216.5
Money Line: Los Angeles Lakers (-320; bet $320 to win $100); Miami (+260; bet $100 to win $260)
Prediction
Los Angeles Lakers (-7) and Over 216.5
This one is ripe for the taking for the Lakers. All they have to do is not muck it up.
Go out, hit the Heat with a barrage of baskets early on through the pick-and-roll and never let their feet off the gas. That should be the plan, and for their part, it likely will be because King James is out to get his L.A. crown.
"Well, one, what I've learned being a Laker is that the Laker faithful don't give a damn what you've done before," James said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Until you become a Laker, you've got to do it with them, as well."
The Lakers will be out to gain the respect of their fans in the post-Kobe Bryant era, but Miami is not a team that will take any of this lying down.
They are shorthanded, sure, but they have a level of grit, toughness and heart that is unmatched not just in this series, but throughout this whole postseason.
The Heat's culture is to fight, and they will bring all of the fight they have on Friday night.
That was especially true for Gary Payton, who was part of the Miami team that came back from a 2-0 deficit against the Dallas Mavericks in 2006 to win the championship.
"I got one message," Payton wrote in The Players Tribune. "Everyone doubts you right now. Everyone's writing you off. They're getting ready to CROWN them other guys. They're shining up that trophy for 'em... they've got that champagne on ice.
"But they forgot about one thing. Y'all are still here. Y'all are still here—and y'all belong here. Next three games are for the Culture."
Payton went on to say that everyone has forgotten about the Heat. It will be up to them, then, to make people remember in Game 5.
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Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference