It has been 345 days since the NBA tipped off its 2019-20 season, but we’re finally here: Game 1 of the Finals is Wednesday night (9 p.m. ET on ABC).
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers solidified their status as a title contender early in the season and backed that up with an impressive run through the Western Conference playoffs.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat, meanwhile, are in a place few thought they would be. After upsetting the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the second round and ousting the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, Miami is ready to beat the odds once more inside the bubble.
Who will take home the title in these unprecedented NBA Finals? Our experts are making their picks for Lakers-Heat.
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NBA Finals
Jerry Bembry
Heat in 6 | Finals MVP: Tyler Herro
Tim Bontemps
Heat in 7 | Finals MVP: Bam Adebayo
Nick DePaula
Heat in 6 | Finals MVP: Bam Adebayo
Nick Friedell
Heat in 6 | Finals MVP: Jimmy Butler
Kirk Goldsberry
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Israel Gutierrez
Heat in 6 | Finals MVP: Bam Adebayo
Andrew Han
Lakers in 6 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Chris Herring
Heat in 6 | Finals MVP: Bam Adebayo
Baxter Holmes
Lakers in 5 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Tim Legler
Heat in 7 | Finals MVP: Jimmy Butler
Andrew Lopez
Lakers in 6 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Tim MacMahon
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Bobby Marks
Heat in 7 | Finals MVP: Bam Adebayo
Dave McMenamin
Lakers in 6 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Kevin Pelton
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Omar Raja
Lakers in 6 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Jorge Sedano
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Ramona Shelburne
Lakers in 6 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Andre’ Snellings
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Marc J. Spears
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: Anthony Davis
Jesse Washington
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Eric Woodyard
Lakers in 6 | Finals MVP: LeBron James
Royce Young
Lakers in 6 | Finals MVP: Anthony Davis
Ohm Youngmisuk
Lakers in 7 | Finals MVP: Anthony Davis
Final tally
Series winner: Lakers (16), Heat (8).
Finals MVP: LeBron James (13), Bam Adebayo (5), Anthony Davis (3), Jimmy Butler (2), Tyler Herro (1).
