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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport

LA Lakers pay tribute to Kobe Bryant with 'Black Mamba' kits as they take NBA Finals lead

The Los Angeles Lakers wore 'Black Mamba' shirts in tribute to Kobe Bryant as beat Miami Heat to open up a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals series.

NBA great Bryant and daughter Gianna were among nine killed in a helicopter crash in January.

On the night, LeBron James and Anthony Davis invoked memories of Lakers legends Shaquille O’Neal and the late Bryant by combining for 65 points in a 124-114 victory.

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

This is James' 10th appearances in the NBA Finals and first time he has lead 2-0 as the Lakers humbled the Heat in the NBA bubble in Florida.

(Getty Images)

After the game, James sent a message to Bryant's family: "I hope you are proud."

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.

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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