National Basketball Association

Adding Insult To Injury

Updated Oct. 1, 2020 12:08 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Lakers waited 10 long years to make it back to the NBA Finals – and they were right at home in Game 1, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the purple and gold to a 116-98 win over the Miami Heat.

Here are 3 takeaways from the Lakers' resounding victory.

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1. Absolute domination

Believe it or not, the Heat seized a 23-10 lead with a little less than six minutes remaining in the first quarter. They couldn't miss, especially on 3s, and their defense was completely locked in.

And it was all downhill from there. The Lakers were simply too big, too strong, and too fast. Miami's small lineups had no answer for Davis, who finished with 34 points, nine rebounds and five assists in his NBA Finals debut, while LeBron ran the offense, nearly notching another playoff triple-double with 25 points, 13 boards and nine dimes.

Truly, the Lakers dominated in every facet of the game. They were 15-for-38 (39.5%) on 3-pointers; the Heat, meanwhile, shot 11-for-35 (32.4%) despite their hot start.

They devastated the Heat on the boards, ripping down nine offensive rebounds to Miami's five and winning the overall rebounding battle 54 to 36.

And it's a whole lot easier to outrebound your opponent when your defense forces 51 misses on 42.7% shooting from the floor (league average for the postseason has been 45.7%, for context) as the Lakers did on Tuesday, adding seven steals and eight blocks for good measure.

All in all, the Lakers looked like the cream of the NBA crop in Game 1.

2. Put the Heat in ice

Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Goran Dragic are arguably the three most important players for the Heat – and all three suffered significant injuries in Game 1.

While Butler was able to shake off a rolled ankle in the first half, he clearly appeared to be less than his usual self the rest of the way, particularly on the defensive end.

Perhaps more concering for the Heat was the fact that both Adebayo and Dragic exited the game for good. Dragic suffered a left foot injury and received X-rays, although it was unclear when in the first half he was hurt.

The early prognosis appeared foreboding for Miami.

And Adebayo aggravated a shoulder injury he first suffered in Miami's Eastern Conference finals win over the Celtics. As he told ESPN's Rachel Nichols, he has not received any pain-killing shots to this point, as he isn't a fan of needles.

While the Lakers looked dominant for most of Game 1, the Heat's health was certainly a massive factor in the final outcome. Everyone is hoping that Miami's stars can rebound quickly.

3. Know your role ... and play it well

When LeBron and AD are playing like they did on Tuesday, the Lakers are awfully hard to beat.

Throw in the kind of performance Los Angeles received from the rest of its roster in Game 1, and they might be entirely unstoppable.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, for instance, scored 10 of his 13 points in the first quarter, erasing Miami's early lead – and making savvy wagerers pretty happy, as well.

Danny Green (11 points) and Alex Caruso (10) each reached double figures, while Dwight Howard played top-notch defense and helped lead the Lakers' charge on the boards (eight rebounds in 15 minutes) despite not making much noise offensively (just two points on zero field goal attempts).

Rajon Rondo added seven points and four assists, running the offense as LeBron got an early rest during the Lakers' first-quarter "comeback" – if you can call it that.

After the game, Davis was quick to credit KCP and the Lakers' bench for their contributions, despite his own historic performance: "KCP saved us."

If they keep it up, this series could be over far sooner than later.

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