Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13 points, Danny Green had 11 and Alex Caruso finished with 10 for the Lakers. They returned to the finals for the first time in a decade and sent a clear message. James' teams had been 1-8 in Game 1 of past finals, with losses in each of the last seven openers. Not this one.
Jimmy Butler fought through a twisted left ankle to score 23 points for Miami. Kendrick Nunn scored 18 points, Tyler Herro had 14 and Jae Crowder 12.
"I, and we, are here for him," Butler said about Dragic. "We know how much he wants to win, how much he wants to go to war and battle with us. And obviously, we love him for that and we want him out there with us. But whatever the docs tell him to do, that's what he's got to do. He has to take care of himself first."
Adebayo was held to eight points in 21 minutes, and Miami went with subs for a fourth-quarter burst that turned a rout into something only slightly more palatable.
The Lakers did whatever they wanted. They outrebounded Miami 54-36, led by as many as 32 points, and made 15 three-pointers — a big number for a team that doesn't necessarily count on piling up that many points from beyond the arc. They're 21-3 this season when making at least 14 threes.
The only stretch that provided hope for Miami came in the first six minutes. The Heat scored on six consecutive possessions in what became a 13-0 run to take a 23-10 lead midway through the opening period. Everything else was all Lakers.
"You have to get a feel for how hard Miami plays," James said. "They smacked us in the mouth. From that moment when it was 23-10, we started to play to our capabilities."
Game 2 is on Saturday.
- AP
