Bubble Kings: Lakers run past Heat for 17th NBA championship

This season, for LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers, had it all. And it ended in only fashion that y deemed would be acceptable, with m back atop basketball world. For first time since Kobe Bryant's fifth and final title a decade ago, Lakers are NBA champions. James had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Lakers beat Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday night to win NBA Finals in six games.

Anthony Davis had 19 points and 15 rebounds for Lakers, who dealt with ermous anguish that followed death of iconic Bryant in January and all challenges that came with leaving home for three months to play at Walt Disney World in a bubble designed to keep inhabitants safe from coronavirus.

It would be, James predicted, toughest title to ever win.

y made clincher look easy. James won his fourth title, doing it with a third different franchise — and against Heat franchise that showed him to to become a champion.

Bam Adebayo had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which got 12 points from Jimmy Butler — player who, in his first Heat season, got team back to title contention. Rajon Rondo scored 19 points for Lakers.

With that, league’s bubble chapter, put toger after a 4 1/2-month suspension of play that started March 11 because of coronavirus pandemic, is over. So, too, is a season that saw league and China get into political sparring, death on Jan. 1 of commissioner emeritus David Stern — man who did so much to make league what it is — and n shock on Jan. 26 that came with news that Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven or died in a helicopter crash.

Lakers said y were playing rest of season in his memory.

y delivered what Bryant did five times for L.A. — a ring, and clincher was emphatic.

Game 6 was over by halftime, Lakers taking a 64-36 lead into break. Heat never led and couldn’t shoot from anywhere: 35% from 2-point range in half, 33% from 3-point range and even an uncharacteristic 42% from line, t like any of it really mattered. Lakers were getting everything y wanted and n some, outscoring Miami 36-16 in second quarter and doing all that with James making just one shot in period.

Rajon Rondo, w a two-time champion and first to win rings as a player in both Boston and Los Angeles — franchises w tied with 17 titles apiece — was 6 for 6 in half, first time he’d done that since vember 2007. Lakers’ lead was 46-32 with 5:00 left in half, and y outscored Miami 18-4 from re until intermission.

Ball game. 28-point halftime lead was second-biggest in NBA Finals history, topped only by Celtics leading Lakers 79-49 on May 27, 1985.

True to form, Heat — a . 5 seed in Eastern Conference that finished with a losing record last season, a team that embraced challenge of bubble like ne or — didn't stop playing, t even when deficit got to 36 in third quarter.

A 23-8 run by Miami got Heat to 90-69 with 8:37 left. But outcome was never in doubt, and before long confetti was blasted into air as Lakers' celebration formally and officially began.

TIP-INS

Lakers: Davis did t wear gold-painted sneakers that he had for Game 5; instead, he went with red-and-black ones Sunday. ... Among ring-winners: Dion Waiters, who began this season with Heat; 19-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker (he turns 20 v. 25) and Kostas Antetokounmpo — bror of two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee Bucks.

Heat: Goran Dragic (torn left plantar fascia) checked in late in first quarter, his first appearance since Game 1 of series. ... Jae Crowder had 12 points and Duncan Robinson had 10 for Heat.

JOIN CLUB

John Salley and Robert Horry were, until Sunday, only players to win championships with three different franchises. James (Miami, Cleveland) and Danny Green (San Antonio, Toronto) added ir names to that list with this title.

HEAT SEASON

Miami led NBA with 94 games played this season — 30 more than Minnesota, which played fewest in NBA. Heat finished with 1,247 3-pointers this season, including playoffs, 290 more than any or year in team history.

UP NEXT

body kws. draft is set for v. 18, but dates for start of free ncy, training camps and next season’s schedule could be weeks away from being finalized.