LAC 60 LAL 44
Welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' Christmas Day matchup vs. the LA Clippers where the Clippers have a comfortable 60-44 lead at the half.
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D'Angelo Russell, 12 points, 5-6 shooting. This is probably the only positive I can find during the first half. When the Laker offense looked dead in the water to start, Russell gets inserted into the lineup and provided a much needed spark. Russell is off to a great start, maybe his best start in his rookie season, making 5 shots out of 6 attempts, a pair of three pointers. I thought he was efficient during the first half.
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Turnovers. 9 turnovers in the first half and it's one of the many reasons why the Lakers are put into this hole right now against the Clippers. We all know the end result whenever the Clippers generate a turnover. They simply cash in with points in transition.
Defense. This is an inevitable negative for the Lakers this season. They are not finishing by boxing out for a rebound and they're letting the Clippers destroy them whether it's at the paint or in the pick and roll sets. Chris Paul is having his way with 14 points and J.J. Redick was abusing Lou Williams in the first quarter alone.
Bottom Line
A win may be far from attainability, but the Lakers just have to compete and make this game a game. Their first priority should be limiting the turnovers. Make them work for their shots instead of gift wrapping them some points from made shots. Let's see what happens.
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