After a dramatic Game 5 that went down to the wire, the Lakers left no doubt in a dominant Game 6 performance.
After losing a heartbreaking Game 5 in the final seconds, the Lakers were determined to leave no doubt in Sunday's Game 6. Los Angeles led wire to wire with a dominant performance, beating the Heat, 106-93, to win their 17th title in franchise history.
While Friday's Game 5 provided plenty of suspense and dramatic moments, this one was decisive nearly from the opening tip.
The Lakers led, 28-20, at the end of the first quarter, then outscored the Heat 36-16 in the second to secure a 64-36 halftime lead. Their defense completely suffocated the Heat, who shot 35-for-79 (43.6%) from the field and 13-for-22 (59.1%) from the free throw line.
AllLakers: Lakers Win Their 17th NBA Championship
LeBron James finished the night with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, extending his record of career triple-doubles in the NBA Finals to 11. Anthony Davis had 19 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Two days after his masterful performance in Game 5, Heat star Jimmy Butler struggled against an active Lakers defense. He shot 5-for-10 from the field, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
The win gives the Lakers their first title since 2010, when Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles to a victory over the Boston Celtics in seven games. That championship was the second of back-to-back for Los Angeles, who beat the Orlando Magic in 2009.
The title is James' fourth of his career for his third franchise, after previously winning twice with the Heat (2012 and 2013) and once with the Cavaliers (2016). For the series, James averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists, shooting 59.1% from the field.