The rematch of last year’s NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat ended with the runners-up celebrating the victory. Led by Kendrick Nunn and Jimmy Butler, the Heat won a tight contest 96-94. Head coach of the reigning NBA champions Frank Vogel talked about what led to his team losing the game.
“I did think that our defense turn up the heat a little bit. Throughout the three quarters we knew that the first quarter was not what we wanted or what we’re capable of,” Vogel said.
“In the fourth quarter we held them to 15 points which should be enough to win. They are five in the paint paint-swarm team. You have to play extra-pass basketball. I thought we generated a lot of good looks in the fourth quarter, just weren’t able to knock them down. I’m sure there’s ways we can execute better as well. We’ll look at the tape and find ways where we can be better.”
It was the second loss in a row for the Lakers, which saw them drop to the third place in the Western Conference with 22 wins and 9 losses. Above them are the Los Angeles Clippers (22-9) and the Utah Jazz (24-6). Their next game is against the Washington Wizards.
