Reversal! James 22+5+9, Herro 34+4+3, Vincent sets a record, the fifth place in the West changes hands
On January 16, 2025, Beijing time, the Lakers with a record of 20 wins and 17 losses faced the Heat with a record of 20 wins and 18 losses at home. The Lakers are currently on a three-game losing streak and urgently need to win. Today, facing the Heat without Butler, the Lakers must win. Can they do it? The Lakers' starting lineup is Reeves + Christie + Hachimura + James + Davis, while the Heat's starting lineup is Herro + Rozier + Harkless + Hayesmith + Adebayo.
In the first quarter, Davis layup + Christie three-pointer, Herro three-pointer + Adebayo mid-range shot, both sides tied at 5-5. James made 1 of 2 free throws, Reeves made a 2+1, Rozier, Hayesmith, and Herro responded, and the Heat led 12-9. James, Hachimura, and Christie scored, Herro continued to score, and the Heat led by 2 points. Hachimura and Davis overtook by 2 points. After the timeout, Adebayo scored 5 consecutive points + Hayesmith layup, the Heat overtook by 5 points. Davis and Hachimura equalized the score difference, Harkless made a 2+1, Davis continued to score, and the Lakers led by 2 points. Burks, Herro, and Weir overtook by 4 points, and at the end of the first quarter, the Heat led 38-34.
In the second quarter, James and Reeves scored, Jovic, Deng Luo, and Weir responded strongly, and the Heat led by 12 points. Hachimura, Vincent, and Reeves reduced the gap to 7 points, Herro extended the gap to 13 points, James and Christie scored, Harkless continued to score in response, the gap was 14 points, Davis dunked, and at halftime, the Heat led 66-54.
In the third quarter, Hachimura, Christie, and Davis started with a 7-0 run, reducing the gap to 5 points. Harkless and Hayesmith extended the gap to 10 points. Reeves hit a three-pointer, and James hit two consecutive three-pointers, reducing the gap to 1 point. Hayesmith, Herro, and Deng Luo extended the gap to 10 points again. Vincent, Davis, Hayes, and Knickert reduced the gap to 2 points, and at the end of the third quarter, the Heat led 85-83.
In the fourth quarter, Rozier made a mid-range shot, and the Heat led by 4 points. Reeves, Vincent, Hayes, and James responded with a 9-0 run to overtake by 5 points. Rozier and Burks equalized the score. Vincent, Christie, and Hachimura extended the gap to 5 points. Herro, Adebayo, and Jovic scored, but Vincent, Hachimura, Davis, and James responded, and the Lakers led by 9 points. After the timeout, Herro made a layup, Christie responded with a layup, and the gap remained at 9 points with 50 seconds left in the game. Adebayo missed a three-pointer, and the Lakers stopped attacking. The game ended with the Lakers defeating the Heat 117-108, completing the reversal.
James scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists on 9 of 15 shooting. Davis scored 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks on 10 of 21 shooting. Hachimura scored 23 points and 8 rebounds on 9 of 15 shooting. Reeves scored 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 14 assists, setting a personal single-season record for assists twice this season. Christie scored 16 points and 3 rebounds, while Vincent scored 14 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists on 6 of 9 shooting, setting a scoring record for his Lakers career.
Herro scored 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists on 12 of 18 shooting (7 of 12 from three-point range). Adebayo scored 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists on 3 of 7 shooting, continuing his recent slump. Jovic scored 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists, Hayesmith scored 12 points and 3 rebounds, and Harkless scored 11 points and 5 rebounds.
After the Lakers' victory, their ranking rose from seventh to fifth in the West, but the Clippers also have a game today, so the ranking is still uncertain.