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The Los Angeles Lakers came up with a huge win on Tuesday, as they defeated the Miami Heat, 102-96, to move 3-1 up in the NBA Finals. As it turns out, this victory may have had a lot to do with LeBron James' motivational text message to his teammates prior to the contest.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports the details of LeBron's pre-game message to the rest of the squad:
LeBron James texted the Lakers after his pregame nap today and told his teammates it’s a “must-win” game. He said he considered it one of the biggest games of his career, considering what a 2-2 series against this tough Miami team would mean.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 7, 2020
James definitely has the right mindset heading into the crucial contest. NBA fans have seen how resilient the Heat have been throughout the playoffs, so allowing them to even the series could have led to catastrophic results for the Lakers.
For LeBron to say that the game is one of the most important games of his 17-year career speaks volumes on just how much value he has put on this potential championship.
The King's message was heard loud and clear, as his Lakers teammates certainly heeded his call. Guys like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo and Kyle Kuzma came up with huge plays throughout the contest, and it cannot be denied that each of them played with a strong sense of urgency on Tuesday.
LeBron James will be the first to tell you, though, that the job is anything but done at this point. The result of Game 4 had a tremendous impact on the series, but Game 5 is going to be even more important. The Lakers will get their first shot at closing out the series on Friday, and there's no doubt that LeBron and Co. will be ready.
