Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson, center, goes for a loose ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, left, and forward LeBron James, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook reacts after being called for a foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, fourth from left, watches from the sideline during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) goes to the basket as Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony (7) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts to a call during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Heat guard Max Strus (31) passes the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) dunks over Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, right, talks with official Phenizee Ransom (71) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Miami Heat forward P.J. Tucker (17) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, talks with Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo, right, after an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. Miami won 113-107. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, talks with Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard signs autographs before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk, center, looks to pass as Miami Heat guards Kyle Guy (5) and Max Strus (31) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket as Miami Heat guard Max Strus defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) is fouled by Miami Heat guard Max Strus, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon, top, defends against Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) attempts to pass the ball as Miami Heat forward P.J. Tucker, center, and guard Gabe Vincent (2) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker, left and Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent, right, go for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony, center, misses an attempted dunk over Miami Heat guards Kyle Guy, left and Max Strus (31) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MIAMI – The Lakers’ effort started as a disaster, then very nearly became a miracle.
Where they finally landed was somewhere in the unsatisfying middle – and with a loss.
The final 113-107 margin didn’t adequately give context to the pit the Lakers started in, and how impressively they dug themselves out of it. But the bottom line is the bottom line, and after erasing most of a 26-point deficit and coming within four points with 1:07 left, the players were left shaking their heads after their fifth defeat in seven games.
“I mean we just started off a little – a lot – too slow,” said Russell Westbrook with scowl at the stat sheet. “But picked it up a little too late with our intensity.”
With 8:38 left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers trailed by 23 points. That’s when Westbrook (24 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds) helped turn things on with his signature intensity. LeBron James, who finished with a game-high 33 points, followed suit. The Lakers were also lifted by four second-half 3-pointers by Avery Bradley, who wound up with 15 points.
FTX arena had been lulled into calm by a lopsided first forty minutes. The Miami crowd turned up when James – who famously won two championships with the franchise – scored on a putback with 1:07 remaining.
But a spellbinding comeback was not to be: After the Lakers earned the ball back with a key stop with seven seconds left, Talen Horton-Tucker threw an inbounds pass above James’ reach into the back court. Caleb Martin outraced Westbrook to the ball for an easy transition bucket and the dagger.
Coach Frank Vogel took the mistake off of Horton-Tucker’s shoulders, implying that certain pressure-release actions hadn’t been executed correctly on the play. But in the big picture, the Lakers thought they shouldn’t have hurt themselves as much as they did early on.
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“You give up 39 points in the first quarter, 69 at half, it’s not ingredients for us trying to win on the road versus a very well-coached team,” James said.
Miami’s early schemes were as crisp as the Lakers’ were shoddy. The Heat skewered their guests with a mixture of screens, timely off-ball cuts and deadeye 3-point shooting. They shot 16 for 24 from the field in the first quarter, including 20 points in the paint and six 3-pointers.
Often, the Lakers found one defender guarding two Miami attackers, or ran into screens set for corner 3-pointers. Jimmy Butler, who James himself called one of his favorite adversaries, had a 20-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound tripled-double as he throttled the controls for the Heat offense. Incidentally, Butler passed James in the game for the most triple-doubles in franchise history (10).
Bradley, who is often credited as the Lakers’ defensive tone setter, said he was frustrated by the lackadaisical start on that end.
“Everyone in the locker room, we have to be tied together,” he said. “I feel like we’re up and down. We’re not learning from our mistakes and as a veteran team, as a team that is looking to go far in the postseason, I feel like we have to correct our mistakes and learn from those.”
There was some course-correction in the game, as the Lakers went smaller and started to switch on more possessions. Bradley said the reads were easier once the Lakers made that change, which showed up in holding the Heat to just 44 points in the second half.
But the Lakers’ offense also took time to get going: In the third quarter, they scored just 18 points on 7 for 19 shooting and six turnovers. Carmelo Anthony (3 for 8) and Malik Monk (3 for 6) struggled to bring the their usual bright spots from the bench. Even though Miami was missing Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro, their four reserves matched the Lakers’ six-man bench effort (35 points).
The Lakers had been hoping for the return of Anthony Davis, who has been teasing signs that he may return in one of the remaining four games of the road trip. But Westbrook implied that the Lakers can’t trust that getting their star big man is going to fix the problems that have dogged them in the recent stretch.
“Not one person is going to change every aspect of what we’re doing,” he said.
