After considerable skepticism from people like me, the NBA has arrived at its marquee moment: the Finals. The storylines are rich here. LeBron James going for his third ring with this third franchise. LeBron vs. the Heat. LeBron vs. Pat Riley. Erik Spoelstra vs. Frank Vogel. The Dion Waiters revenge ser—okay, maybe it’s not that rich. Nevertheless, this should be an exciting matchup between two well-coached squads. With the Lakers entering as the clear-cut favorites, here are five keys for the Heat to pull off a championship-level upset.
1. Make the Lakers play in the halfcourt
Miami’s best chance at winning this series is to force Los Angeles to execute against a set defense, something the Lakers have struggled with since the start of the season nearly 11 months ago.