Julius Randle notched a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to the Lakers, but the Timberwolves lead proved to be insurmountable as the Lakers lose 96-114 to open up 2018. Brandon Ingram added 14 points and Josh Hart chipped in 10 points to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson lead the 2nd unit in scoring with 20 points and Corey Brewer added 12 points.
Final Score: @ Minnesota 96-114 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180101/LALMIN#/recap
Next Game: vs. Oklahoma City (01/03) <-- b="">*Open Thread and Full Recap Posts*
Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*
Prior to this game, the Lakers were in a dogfight with the Rockets the other night since this was a back-to-back set. They took Houston to double overtime and we're all thinking how much energy was sapped out of them during this back-to-back set? The result, the Lakers dug themselves a 0-14 hole to start the game last night. I read an article that the Lakers started so bad that Luke Walton pulled the starters early, hence why Clarkson and Brewer came off the bench earlier than expected. Defensively, the Lakers lacked a whole lot of energy during that terrible start. The defensive pressure was non-existent and players were half a step behind in putting hand up to contest a shot. When Clarkson and Brewer came in, they helped provide some spark on offense and defense respectively. Despite the fast start, the Timberwolves let the Lakers hung around for a bit and the Lakers took advantage of that to make a run. Minnesota shot 7-20 from three point land which probably was one of the reasons why the Lakers still had a pulse in this game. It would've been a whole different story if Karl Anthony-Towns was given the ball more, but Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins helped stepped up and ensured the Timberwolves won this in wire-to-wire fashion. The biggest common denominator here is that the Lakers are seriously missing Lonzo Ball and Brook Lopez during this losing skid. Lopez has not had a good season, but he's a proven threat to score from inside or outside and the Lakers are missing that. Without Zo, it's obvious that the assists numbers have dipped. Ingram and Kuzma for example, their numbers and percentages are dipping because Lonzo sets them up well for high percentage looks to the basket. The good news is that they're cleared for practice and likely a game time call for tomorrow's game against the Thunder. Speaking of the Lakers vs. Thunder, you've all heard the Paul George rumors by now. That game is basically their audition to try and entice PG13 to come next Summer. I'll see you guys tomorrow for that.
No comments:
Post a Comment