Los Angeles Lakers-Miami Heat Reaction: Adjustments Needed For Next Time

Some people will look at today's 16-point blowout game and say, "That's it, the Heat are the better team. The Lakers are done!"

But when I look at this game, I see evenly matched opponents who will easily go the distance in a playoff series.

Let me explain before you click the "previous" button.

When you look at the overall statistics between both teams, you'll see that the Heat did just a little bit better than the Lakers in pretty much every category.

The shot a little bit better.

They picked up one more rebound than the Lakers.

They were more active on defense.

These are all intangibles that change on a game basis and there are very few things you can do to gain control on intangibles, some of which are staying focus and playing hard defense—that way, you'll have a better chance at getting calls your way and getting the ball to fall in your favor.

So when we look at what the Heat did right in this game, it was staying focused and playing hard defense.

And when we look at what the Lakers did wrong in this game, it was the lack of focus and intensity. 

Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant allowed themselves to get too emotional and pick up silly fouls that could have easily been avoided if they didn't overplay their player. Then, to pick up technical fouls did not help their case for the sportsmanship of the year award.

To make matters worse for them, LeBron is making Kobe look like a pinball on their match ups together.

As a team, they missed a lot of short shots that could have easily been converted if they just went a little bit harder on them.

But give the Heat credit, they tried as hard as possible to make every shot difficult. Even as the clock was winding down and all the white-flag players were on the court, they still swarmed the Lakers on defense and tried to make them take difficult shots.

They say it's just another game, but it is obvious the Heat are trying to make a serious statement on what should otherwise be a joyous occasion.

So it's over.

The game that everyone circled on their NBA calender has been played.

Now what?

Well, we wait for their next match-up on March 10, 2011, in Miami and hope the Lakers can make the game interesting.

They need to come into that game with the focus and intensity they have been lacking in recent games and they need their star player to take better shots. Maybe that will encourage everyone else to take better shots too.

Also, defense is the name of the game. Need I say more?

They need to cover their players on defense and recognize who they're guarding. Overplaying everyone will just lead to easy buckets.

It was very frustrating watching LeBron get fouls for flopping around like a drowning sea turtle, but it was the Lakers' fault for giving him those opportunities.

Overall, I expect the game in Miami to be a lot better than the one in Los Angeles, and maybe the Lakers will show up to play.

Maybe.