LA Lakers pay tribute to Kobe Bryant as they move 2-0 up in NBA finals

LeBron James top scores as Lakers wear ‘Black Mamba’ uniforms before Game 2 win

LeBron James score 33 points as the LA Lakers won Game 2 of thr NBA finals in Orlando. Photograph: Douglas P DeFelice/Getty
LeBron James score 33 points as the LA Lakers won Game 2 of thr NBA finals in Orlando. Photograph: Douglas P DeFelice/Getty

The Los Angeles Lakers paid tribute to Kobe Bryant as they moved into a 2-0 lead in their NBA Finals series after recording a 124-114 win over an injury-hit Miami Heat.

LeBron James and his team-mates wore ‘Black Mamba’ uniforms in honour of former Lakers star Bryant, who was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash in January.

Miami were without Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic for the match, with the Lakers seizing the lead early and never looking back.

LeBron James top scored for LA with 33 points, but it was Anthony Davis who impressed with his 30 points and seven rebounds inside 27 minutes, going on to record 32 points and 14 rebounds.

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James — who is up 2-0 for the first time in 10 NBA Finals appearances — finished an assist and a rebound short of a triple-double as the Lakers humbled the Heat in the NBA bubble in Florida.

The Lakers went into the half up by 14 points, but Miami outscored them 39-35 in the third to make a game of it.

But it was Davis who essentially sealed the win two minutes from time with a dunk as the Lakers took a major step towards securing their first title since 2010.