Miami did show several encouraging signs, as Chris Bosh reemerged as an interior force with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby provided some kick for a bench unit that is ranked 27th in the NBA in scoring.
But the excitement shown from Miami and its fans may need to be tempered with a dose of reality, because even though it was a nice win, the good feelings generated from the victory matter little in the big picture.
Don't get me wrong—Miami's victory was big in the sense that it ended a season-high five-game losing streak, and it also ended the Lakers' eight-game winning streak, but at the end of the day the Heat are in exactly the same place as they started.
Miami is still third in the East behind Boston and Chicago, and although some confidence may have been restored on Thursday night, it still hasn't proved it can beat any of the NBA's top teams besides Los Angeles.
Considering Miami is a combined 0-6 against the Bulls and Celtics, I'm not sure those Finals reservations would be a good idea at this moment.
Beating the Lakers is one thing, but as the regular season has shown, beating Boston or Chicago is entirely something different, and the Heat obviously benefit from certain matchups against the Lakers.
The Lakers have always struggled with teams that have multiple athletic wing players, and the evidence of this is found in the Lakers' dismal record against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson of the Bobcats made a routine out of beating the Lakers, and their length and athleticism clearly frustrated star guard Kobe Bryant.
This dynamic has resulted in one of the stranger and more lopsid...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
