Lakers-Heat tied 53-53 at halftime

MIAMI — The Lakers may not have lived up to expectations this season. But at least their matchup Sunday against the Heat became something to watch.,

Both teams remain tied 53-53 in halftime because both teams have featured elements that make each of them great. LeBron James posted 12 points on a perfect 4 of 4 mark from the field and 4 of 4 clip from the free throw line. Whether Metta World Peace or Earl Clark defended him, James carved them up with drives into the lane, smooth jumpers and crisp passes. The Lakers didn’t have an answer for Dwyane Wade’s 12 points either.

The Lakers may sorely miss Pau Gasol because of a plantar fascia tear in his right foot. But the Lakers made up for that void in various ways. Clark provided energy with 11 points. Steve Nash looked comfortable taking the scoring role with 10 points. Save for a few one-on-one matchups against James, Kobe Bryant provided the right balance in facilitating (six assists) and scoring (nine points). The Lakers also surprisingly forced nine turnovers.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Lakers can still keep this game tight in the second half.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com