The 2020 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, 4–2 and 17th title overall in franchise history. The Los Angeles Lakers also became the first and only team in NBA history to be undefeated in a season when leading entering the fourth quarter, going a combined 57–0 record in the regular season and playoffs. The Lakers' LeBron James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career. He became the first and only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP with three different franchises (two with the Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and one with the Lakers) and along with teammate Danny Green, jointly the third players to win the NBA Finals with three different teams. He won the Finals MVP award in a unanimous 11–0 vote by leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists for the entire series, after averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game on the very efficient 59% shooting. Lakers president Jeanie Buss became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA title.
The Lakers were the No. 1 seed in the West, while the Heat were No. 5 in the East, becoming the third-lowest seed to advance to the Finals. This was the first NBA Finals matchup between the two teams, and the first time that Finals participants had both missed the playoffs in the previous season. James had previously played with Miami under Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, winning back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 in four consecutive Finals appearances from 2011 to 2014, while Heat president Pat Riley was head coach of the "Showtime"-era Lakers from 1981 to 1990, leading them to four NBA titles in seven Finals appearances. For the first time in six seasons, the Golden State Warriors were not in the Finals.
The Finals were originally scheduled for June, but the season was suspended in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NBA and its players later approved a plan to restart the season in late July, setting up the NBA Bubble at Walt Disney World to protect teams from the virus. The games were played in the Bubble behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Florida, with the Finals being played from September 30 through October 11. The Finals marked the conclusion of the NBA Bubble, which recorded no COVID-19 cases for the participating teams. The 2020 Finals was the latest to begin (beating the 1999 edition which began on June 16) and the first one played in September and October, and as well held in the fall.
Background
Season suspension and restart
On March 11, 2020, the NBA announced the suspension of the 2019–20 season following a report that Utah Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 just hours before the Jazz road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On June 4, the NBA Board of Governors approved 29–1 (the Portland Trail Blazers were the lone dissenter) resuming the 2019–20 season at Walt Disney World. The National Basketball Players Association approved the plan a day later. Under the plan, thirteen Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams, which include all clubs within six games of a playoff spot, played eight regular-season "seeding" games. A possible play-in tournament for the eighth seed in each conference would then be held if the ninth seed finished the regular season within four games of the eighth seed (this play-in tournament was used in the Western conference only). The 2020 NBA playoffs were then played as a conventional post-season tournament.
Miami Heat
During the off-season, the Heat agreed to a four-way trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler from the 76ers.
Miami began the season with two undrafted players in their starting lineup, Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson. In his first season with the Heat, Butler was named an All-Star for the fifth time in his career, and Bam Adebayo received his first selection, giving Miami two players in an All-Star Game for the first time since Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in the 2015–16 season. Before the season was suspended, the Heat clinched both their first playoff berth and Southeast Division title since the 2017–18 season. After the season resumed, they earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, upset the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and defeated the 3rd-seed Boston Celtics in six games in the Eastern Conference finals to become the first fifth-seeded team to reach the NBA Finals. Only three other times had a lower seed reached the Finals: the Houston Rockets at No. 6 in 1981 and 1995, and the No. 8 New York Knicks in 1999.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers were coming off of a disappointing season in 2018–19 in which they extended their playoff drought which began in 2014. Their major free agent acquisition, LeBron James, suffered the first major injury in his career, and he missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. On the final day of the season, Magic Johnson resigned as president of basketball operations, and head coach Luke Walton and the team mutually agreed to part ways a few days later. During the offseason, general manager Rob Pelinka hired Frank Vogel as the Lakers' new head coach, and he acquired six-time All-Star power forward Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans in a three-way trade that also included the Washington Wizards. Pelinka was promoted to vice president of basketball operations in January 2020, while still retaining his GM role. Later in the month, legendary former Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. The Lakers dedicated the season to him.
The Lakers clinched their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season in March 2020, days before the season was suspended. It ended the longest drought in the franchise's history. After play resumed in the bubble, the Lakers clinched both their first Pacific Division title since 2012 and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2009–10 season. James and Davis were runner-ups for the NBA Most Valuable Player and NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, respectively, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, and both were named to the All-NBA First Team.
The Lakers needed five games each to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals, and the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals. The Lakers reached the Finals for the first time since 2010, while James was making his ninth trip in 10 seasons.
Road to the Finals
Miami Heat (Eastern Conference champion) Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference champion)Regular seasonDefeated the 4th seeded Indiana Pacers, 4–0First roundDefeated the 8th seeded Portland Trail Blazers, 4–1Defeated the 1st seeded Milwaukee Bucks, 4–1Conference semifinalsDefeated the 4th seeded Houston Rockets, 4–1Defeated the 3rd seeded Boston Celtics, 4–2Conference finalsDefeated the 3rd seeded Denver Nuggets, 4–1
Regular season series The Lakers won the regular season series 2–0.
Series summary For this season only, Sunday games began at 7:30 p.m. ET instead of its traditional 8:00 p.m. ET start time. GameDateRoad teamResultHome teamGame 1 September 30 Miami Heat 98–116 (0–1) Los Angeles LakersGame 2 October 2 Miami Heat 114–124 (0–2) Los Angeles LakersGame 3 October 4 Los Angeles Lakers 104–115 (2–1) Miami HeatGame 4 October 6 Los Angeles Lakers 102–96 (3–1) Miami HeatGame 5 October 9 Miami Heat 111–108 (2–3) Los Angeles LakersGame 6 October 11 Los Angeles Lakers 106–93 (4–2) Miami Heat
Game summaries
Game 1
The Lakers' Anthony Davis had 34 points, nine rebounds and five assists in his first Finals game, and LeBron James added a near triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to lead Los Angeles to a 116–98 win over Miami. The Heat led 23–10 in the middle of the first quarter before the Lakers outscored them 55–25 to lead by 17 at halftime. The Lakers expanded their lead to as high as 32 points in the third quarter. They made 13 of their first 20 three-point field goals in the game before cooling off and missing 16 of their last 18.
Miami's Jimmy Butler twisted his left ankle before the end of the first half, but he remained in the game and finished with 23 points. Heat guard Goran Dragić did not play in the second half due to a foot injury. Miami center Bam Adebayo also did not finish the game after exiting in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. Dwight Howard remained as the Lakers' starting center after he moved into the starting lineup for the last few games of the conference finals against Denver.
Game 2
James scored 33 points and Davis added 32, leading the Lakers to a 2–0 series lead with a 124–114 win over the Heat. James and Davis became the first pair of Lakers teammates to each score 30 points in a Finals game since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in Game 3 of the 2002 NBA Finals. The team shot 51% for the game and made 22 of their first 25 two-point field goals, including a stretch of 16 straight towards the end of the first period through late in the third. Davis made 14 of his first 15 shots. Miami played short-handed without their injured starters Adebayo (neck and left shoulder) and Dragić (torn left plantar fascia).
The Lakers led by six points after the first quarter even though they made just three of 12 three-point attempts. Trailing by 14 at the half, the Heat scored 39 points in the third period but still were down 10 entering the fourth. They never got closer than 10 in the final period. Rajon Rondo had 16 points, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma also added 11 for the Lakers. The Lakers made 16 out of a season-high 47 three-pointers. Their starters made just seven of 28 with Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green combining to make three of 19. The team made 66% of its two-point attempts.
Miami was led by Butler with 25 points and Kelly Olynyk with 24 off the bench. Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard replaced Dragić and Adebayo in the starting lineup. Herro became the youngest player to start an NBA Finals game at 20 years, 256 days. He was eight days younger than Magic Johnson was when he started Game 1 for the Lakers in 1980 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Game 3
Butler finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists for a triple-double to lead Miami to a 115–104 win as Heat starters Adebayo and Dragić remained sidelined. Miami led for most of the game. At multiple points, they looked to be taking control of the game, but the Lakers would answer. The Heat led by 13 in the first quarter before the Lakers rallied to take the lead five minutes later. Miami began the second half with a 10–0 run to lead by 14, but Los Angeles responded with eight straight points. The Heat were up 12 late in the third quarter before the Lakers outscored them 20–6 to regain the lead 91–89 with 8:55 remaining in the game. However, the Heat outscored the Lakers 26–13 to finish the game and cut the Lakers' lead to 2–1.