The Indiana Pacers threw open the NBA Eastern Conference finals on Friday, upsetting the Miami Heat with a 97-93 victory to level the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
LeBron James made it to his 10th NBA Finals appearance, while LA Lakers made it to their first Finals in a decade as the Lakers earned a comfortable 117-107 win against Denver Nuggets in Game 5 to win Western Conference Finals 4-1.
The Los Angeles Lakers will pay tribute to Kobe Bryant on Friday when the team plays its first game since the NBA great died, although details of what that will entail remain unclear. Bryant perished along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in foggy weather on a hillside northwest of Los Angeles on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Lakers captured a record-tying 17th NBA Championship on Sunday with a 106-93 victory over the Miami Heat that sealed the best-of-seven title series 4-2, restoring the storied franchise to the top of the basketball world.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James delivered an emotional speech honoring his "brother" Kobe Bryant prior to the first Lakers game since the NBA great, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. James began by reading the names of all nine victims of the tragedy and then throwing a piece of paper containing his prepared remarks on the court.
LA Lakers confident ahead of NBA season.
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