The Miami Heat needed to make a statement that they could compete against the NBA's best teams. They did just that in the NBA's Christmas Day headliner, routing the Los Angeles Lakers 96-80 at the Staples Center.
LeBron James led the way for the Heat with a historic performance, scoring 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and picked up 10 assists. It's the first time a player has ever posted a triple-double on Christmas, according to research done by ESPN's Tom Haberstroh dating back to the 1986/87 season. James scored 16 of his points in the second half as Miami pulled away in the third quarter for the win.
Chris Bosh added 24 points for the Heat, while Dwyane Wade chipped in with 18 despite a sore left knee. Mario Chalmers also provided a lift off the bench, scoring 13 points while hitting three three-pointers.
The Lakers had a rough time all game scoring the ball. They hit just 40 percent of their field-goal attempts and never got into a rhythm offensively. Kobe Bryant had just 17 points on 6-16 shooting, as Wade got him out of his comfort zone. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom had 17 and 14, respectively, but none of the other players had good games. It's worth noting that the Lakers were also blown out on Christmas Day last year by James' Cavaliers, so it's too early to suggest the sky is falling. Really, this win is more about Miami and the way they are beginning to emerge as the team we all thought they would be.
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