- Report: People close to LeBron described January loss to Celtics as worst defeat for him mentally since J.R.’s Finals blunder
- Russell Westbrook’s brother seemingly reacts to LeBron James being disappointed that Lakers didn’t acquire Kyrie Irving
- Josh Giddey downplays possibility of LeBron James breaking scoring record vs. Thunder
- Report: Raptors and Jazz are ‘plan B’ options for Lakers while Hornets, Spurs and Bulls are other ‘teams to watch’
- Report: Lakers had ‘serious concerns’ about Kyrie Irving’s professionalism and availability
- Report: Lakers still optimistic they can upgrade their roster before the trade deadline
- Report: Nets owner’s presumed objective was to send Kyrie Irving anywhere but Lakers
- Report: Lakers could be willing to give up Austin Reaves and Max Christie for Kyrie Irving in unexpected twist
- Report: There’s pessimism that Lakers will land Kyrie Irving due to his contract demands
- Anthony Davis preaches ‘urgency’ as Lakers lose critical game to Pelicans
Kyle Kuzma sends scary warning as Lakers prepare for must-win Game 6
- Updated: October 11, 2020
In the opinion of Kyle Kuzma, the Los Angeles Lakers appear ready to atone for their defeat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, with the team focused on winning one more game.
Kyle Kuzma on the Lakers' focus since Game 5.
"Everyone has been really on edge. Everyone has been really focused on attention to detail and what we have to do with all coverages. Just everything little, all the little things. Everybody is locked in."
— Finals Faigen (@hmfaigen) October 11, 2020
In Friday night’s loss to the Miami Heat, the Lakers were unable to capture their first NBA title in a decade, due in part to a miss of a wide-open 3-pointer and a bad pass in the closing moments.
Getting rid of the bad taste of that finish can be accomplished by focusing in part on the fundamentals to win Sunday night’s Game 6.
Even with the loss, the Lakers still hold a 3-2 advantage in the series and have the deadly combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis poised to go all-out to win the game. That likely explains the perspective that Kuzma and his teammates have taken toward Sunday’s contest.
James and Davis each have important reasons for getting a win in Game 6, which would give James the rare distinction of having led three different franchises to an NBA title.
In James’ case, an injury-plagued first season with the Lakers last year had his critics claiming that he was on the downside of his career. For Davis, one more win would represent his first NBA title after having been acquired by the Lakers during the offseason.