Instant Analysis: How The Lakers Secured Impressive Comeback Win Over The Heat

As losers of three straight games, the Los Angeles Lakers were desperate for a win on Wednesday night going into their matchup against the Miami Heat at the Crypto.com arena. The Heat put up a good fight without their leading star Jimmy Butler but it wasn't enough to overcome the Lakers and pull off the upset win on the road.

The two teams had nearly identical records going into the game and they looked pretty evenly matched in their latest showdown. The Heat narrowly won the first quarter 38-34 and took a 14-point lead into halftime but the Lakers were able to respond with some plays of their own that kept them in the game down the stretch. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers completed the comeback and escaped with a narrow nine-point victory (117-108) that surprised even some of their fans.

Anthony Davis had a great game for the Lakers with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists on 10-21 shooting. LeBron James finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists while Rui Hachimura dropped a team-high 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist in 31 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the Heat, Tyler Herro was the MVP for his team with 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists on 12-18 shooting. Bam Adebayo had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists on 3-6 shooting. Off the bench, Nikola Jovic tallied 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists on 4-7 shooting from the field.

It was a tale of two halves for the Lakers which told entirely different stories. The first 24 minutes (up to the third quarter) was all about the Heat and it wasn't until some adjustments by the Lakers that they finally took control of the game to secure their 21st win this season.

Six Players In Double Figures

The Lakers started the game slowly before picking up some steam in the second half. Tonight, unlike most games, the scoring was balanced across the roster with six different Lakers scoring in double figures, including Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent.

The Lakers shot 52.2% as a team and totaled 33 assists to the Heat's 25. Since taking over as coach, JJ Redick has prioritized ball movement and teamwork, two key areas of strength for the Lakers tonight.

The offense was operating like a smooth machine for the home team tonight with clean looks being generated for everyone. The good news this time is that the Lakers hit their shots when they needed to and got enough contributions from everyone to overcome a very talented Eastern Conference competitor.

Clutch Play From LeBron James

It was a chess game down the stretch as both teams made adjustments to try and win the game. However, with a potential win on the line, LeBron James was able to step up in the final frame to lead the Lakers to a comeback victory over his former team.

Specifically, LeBron scored 7 of his 22 points in clutch time and was key in helping them secure the come-from-behind victory. James, 40, has consistently served as the Lakers' closer, and he took on that role again tonight as he sensed the Heat were vulnerable without Butler to save the day.

This season, LeBron James is averaging 23.7 points, 8.8 assists, and 7.6 rebounds per game on 50.9% shooting. But while his stats may be down across the board he knows how to turn it on when he needs to and he seemingly preserves his strength throughout the game to elevate his game at the last possible moment.

Second Half Defense Stalled The Heat

It was on offense that the Lakers kept up with the Miami Heat initially but it was their defense that allowed them to flip the momentum and take control of the game. After halftime, the Lakers managed to hold the Heat to 19 points in the third quarter and just 23 points in the final 12 minutes compared to the first two quarters when they allowed the Heat to score a combined 66 points.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what changed for the Lakers in the second half, but good communication and proper execution on the floor led to them containing the Heat and closing the gap to pull off the comeback win.

With 12 steals and 4 blocks as a team, the Lakers were constantly disrupting Miami's offense and it was enough for them to make a comeback after a miserable first half of basketball. If they can just sustain this defensive intensity throughout the season, it will go a long way toward helping them win more games.

In the end, it was far from the prettiest showing for the Lakers but they got the win today and avoided a devastating four-game losing streak that would have de-railed their progress from earlier in the season.

The Lake Show's next game is against the Brooklyn Nets at the Crypto.com arena on Friday, January 17th, at 10:30 PM EST. They then play the Clippers on Sunday, January 19th, at 9:00 PM EST at Intuit Dome before a showdown against the Wizards at home on Tuesday, January 21st, at 10:30 PM EST.