The Lakers beat Miami 102-96 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Here are three things to know prior to Friday’s Game 5, as the Lakers have a chance to secure a championship:
LEBRON IN CLOSEOUT GAMES
LeBron James doesn’t like to mess around with the Basketball Gods once his teams have sniffed blood in a playoff series. That’s best shown by his record in closeout games, where he’s won 16 of the last 17 such opportunities to put an opponent away, including all three times in these 2020 playoffs when LAL have led 3-1.