By Stefan Djordjevic / info@eurohoops.net
The LA Lakers have secured themselves a rather comfortable 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat and they are looking to close it out in Game 5, scheduled for Friday.
One action, in particular, proves that the LA squad will be locked in and it’s the decision to wear ‘Black Mamba’ uniforms. The Lakers have been using those uniforms four times throughout the playoffs in honor of the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, and have kept a clean record, winning them all.
“Obviously, we’re representing him. Especially in those jerseys. It’s his jersey, one he created, and any time we put it on, we want to win,” Anthony Davis said after hitting the buzzer-beating three for the win against the Denver Nuggets and that has basically been the deal every time the Lakers put on the black uniforms.
Be it as it may, there is another side to the story which says that all the pressure is on the Lakers to deliver and wearing those black jerseys may have gone ‘smoothly’ so far but it would also make a loss that much more devastating mentally and could potentially turn the tides in the series.
On the opposing side, the Miami Heat await. One of the toughest squads in the league that has been showing a confident, never-give-up mindset every time they step on the court, at the front with the team leader in Jimmy Butler.
“Our confidence ain’t going nowhere. It’s going to stay high. I’m going to make sure that it stays high because it’s going to have to be at an all-time high to get this next win,” Butler said after Game 4.
That attitude was on display in Game 3 which the Heat took over without Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic. Butler logged a 40-point triple-double to make it work and keep Miami alive.
With two days of rest, Miami hopes that Bam – who returned last game – will heal back to 100% while maybe Dragic would be able to help in at least some capacity coming off a plantar tear in his left foot.
However it goes, be sure that the Heat will fight until the last millisecond of Game 5. “Our backs are against the wall. It’s not like it’s never been done before. We still got hope. We’re still gonna fight until the end,” Adebayo stated.