The Miami Heat were very happy, thank you, with their defensive effort on Sunday, when they disrupted the Lakers’ plans and good attack in a 115-104 victory in Match 3 that cut the Los Angeles advance to 2–1.

Match after LeBron James and Anthony Davis collected 65 points, becoming the first Lakers duo since Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant scored more than 30 points each in the NBA Finals match. Most absorbable 40.

On top of that, Miami supported 19 turns – the second-highest percentage in the qualifiers for the Lakers, who shot just 43% of the field in a loss, and which ranked third in their worst shooting percentage this post-season.

The dysfunction that afflicted the Lakers was the result of a team effort, including a few failed ammunition from archers Kentavius ​​Caldwell Pope and Danny Green.

The bubble has chased Green for most of the Lakers’ long stays. The two-time NBA champion is 41.6% of field goals in the regular season, but he takes 33.3% of the field in the playoffs, when he is 33.0% of the 3-point range.

In the last two matches of the Finals, Green was a pooled 1 to 14, including losing all six shots he earned on Sunday.

Caldwell Pop hasn’t been much better in the series: It’s an 8-for-29 so far against the Heat, including going 1-on-5 on Sunday. That’s far from the typical pace of a goalkeeper who was a 46.7% off-the-ground shooter and 38.5% 3-point shooter in the regular season.

The Lakers rely on Green and Caldwell Pope to be their criminal agents to operate optimally. Caldwell Pope explained this himself last week during a video conference with the media.

“When we get off the beat, the flow of the game is we’re just playing basketball for the Lakers,” said the 6-foot-5-foot goalkeeper. “This opens the driving lane for our players who drive the ball, tap the ledge. Also, you have to choose which poison you want to stop. Either we stop the triple ball or we can drive to the basket all night.”

“It will make it more difficult for us to win matches if we don’t drop the punches.”

But even if they don’t hit, it’s imperative that they keep shooting, and keep playing the role.

Just ask Duncan Robinson.

The Heat’s resident shooter, who shoots only 27.3% of field and 25.0% of depth against the Lakers, had five rebounds, three assists, two robberies and a block on Sunday. But he also kept up the shot, making 4 of 12 attempts to contribute 13 points to help Shorthand Hit (who lost the ledge protector Pam Adebayo and base goalkeeper Goran Dragic) to a desperate victory.

“I know this is my job,” said Robinson. “If I’m not aggressive and chasing those shots, I’ll let my teammates down. Sometimes it’s not always about getting in, but if I take them. I have to make sure I’m taking the right shots, putting pressure on defense in different ways and creating opportunities for others.”