L.A. Lakers vs. Miami Heat: What Does Miami's Victory Over Lakers Really Prove?
The Miami Heat's 94-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers clinched the regular season series with the Lakers, but beyond that fact I wouldn't be too quick to draw any future conclusions.
Miami did show several encouraging signs, as Chris Bosh reemerged as an interior force with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby provided some kick for a bench unit that is ranked 27th in the NBA in scoring.
But the excitement shown from Miami and its fans may need to be tempered with a dose of reality, because even though it was a nice win, the good feelings generated from the victory matter little in the big picture.
Don't get me wrong—Miami's victory was big in the sense that it ended a season-high five-game losing streak, and it also ended the Lakers' eight-game winning streak, but at the end of the day the Heat are in exactly the same place as they started.
Miami is still third in the East behind Boston and Chicago, and although some confidence may have been restored on Thursday night, it still hasn't proved it can beat any of the NBA's top teams besides Los Angeles.
Considering Miami is a combined 0-6 against the Bulls and Celtics, I'm not sure those Finals reservations would be a good idea at this moment.
Beating the Lakers is one thing, but as the regular season has shown, beating Boston or Chicago is entirely something different, and the Heat obviously benefit from certain matchups against the Lakers.
The Lakers have always struggled with teams that have multiple athletic wing players, and the evidence of this is found in the Lakers' dismal record against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson of the Bobcats made a routine out of beating the Lakers, and their length and athleticism clearly frustrated star guard Kobe Bryant.
This dynamic has resulted in one of the stranger and more lopsided series in the NBA, since few observers actually consider Charlotte to be a superior team to the Lakers.
It is also no coincidence that Los Angeles may be the only other elite team with a poorer point guard situation than Miami.
Chalmers and Bibby both made huge plays at different stages for the Heat, and their inspired play was a big factor in Miami's win.
Miami's point guards held a clear advantage over Laker guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, but in each of their losses to Chicago, Boston, Portland, Dallas and San Antonio, the Heat were outplayed at that position.
The circumstances surrounding the Heat's win should be taken into consideration as well.
LeBron James and Bosh had previously made it very clear that they were approaching Thursday night's game with an air of desperation, and they played with an intensity that had been missing from prior efforts.
Bosh attacked the rim with reckless abandon, while Miami's defense was as stingy as ever, and when there were decisive plays to be made in the fourth quarter, Miami made them all.
The Heat suffered through poor shooting performances from both Wade and James yet still found a way to win, and for that they should be applauded.
To be honest, how much regular season success have the Lakers had against Wade and James the past three years anyway?
While James was with Cleveland he made a habit out of beating the Lakers in the regular season, and Wade had his fair share of success against the Lakers as well.
But there are no more regular season games to be played against the Lakers, and while Los Angeles has proved it can beat teams such as Boston and Chicago, Miami has not.
It is true that Los Angeles has yet to prove it can beat the Heat, but it has shown it can beat the teams ahead of it in its conference.
