1.) Defend the 3-pointer!
The Miami Heat have two great shooters in Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, who can get hot at a moment’s notice. The two combine for around five 3-pointers made per game, and Robinson is coming off a career night in an overtime game against the Atlanta Hawks that saw him drop 34 points on 10/14 shooting from three, tying the Heat franchise record for threes made in a game.
Herro has been one of the more surprising rookies this season, averaging 13.9 points while averaging 37.9% from three and his ability to create off the dribble has been a welcome surprise for the Heat.
Overall, the Heat as a team are shooting an incredible 38.7% from three, good for 3rd in the league, which means not only do they have the personnel to take the shots, they have a scheme in place to get them the best looks.
In addition to Herro and Robinson, they have other capable shooters in Jimmy Butler, Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, and Meyers Leonard, all of whom are more than capable of going off for a career night from three.
The Lakers defense has been exceptional all year and are great at defending almost every spot on the floor. In addition, they just recently got back another important piece to their perimeter defense in Avery Bradley who should prove to be an important piece in making sure this Miami Heat offense doesn’t get hot from beyond the arc.
The bottom line is that if the Lakers are able to keep the Heat cold from three, their offense should be able to take care of the rest.