Lakers Rout Blazers in Game 2 to Even Up Series

Final: POR 88 LAL 111 - Tied 1-1

Alright, time to talk about this game! The Lakers respond with their backs against the wall early on in this first round matchup. And they do it in a big way, dominating and demoralizing the Blazers in an 88-111 victory to tie the series up and one game a piece.

It's been awhile since I covered a Lakers playoff win. I said in the last recap, the Lakers must treat this game as a "must-win" even if it's early on in the series. This Portland team is a dangerous squad for a first round opponent. Tonight, we saw a well-rounded win. The Lakers turned up the defensive intensity. They were more aggressive offensively. Role players stepped it up. This is just a great way to respond after giving the first game away and to snap a 7-game losing streak in the playoffs for the Purple and Gold.

Anthony Davis is the unanimous MVP for this game. He lead the Lakers with 31 points and 11 rebounds, first player to score 30+ pts and grab 10 rebs in playing under 30 minutes since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Last game, despite the 28-point effort in the loss, AD was inconsistent in the field goal percentage, shooting 8-24 from the field. Tonight, he shot an efficient 13-21. For the most part, AD did work inside the paint with 16 points in the paint at the first half. In the 3rd quarter, his 3-point game got going and helped balloon the Lakers lead to 30 points, which was the largest in this game. 

Second takeaway from this game, the role players stepped it up. Javale McGee got some great looks inside courtesy of the ball movement and court vision from LeBron James. He finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope showed up to play tonight with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Honestly, it's a love-hate relationship with KCP because he's so streaky. But after dropping a "triple-single" last game, he stepped up as the third option outside of LeBron and AD. LeBron only had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he drew a lot of attention to set up teammates nicely for high percentage shots. He was also active defensively with 2 steals.

Speaking of steals, Danny Green leads the Lakers in that category with 4 steals. He still shows value as a defender, but his offense still needs to catch on. Defensively, they put the clamps on Portland's star backcourt tandem. Dame Time was held in check to 18 points. McCollum struggled with 13 points. Dame exited the game in the 3rd quarter with an injury to his index finger. Even if he returned, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The Blazers are reliant on their backcourt to drop buckets. Tonight was an example of how ineffective the Blazers' offense can get when Dame and CJ are not on their A-game.

Overall, this was a fantastic bounceback win from the Lakers. It's been a theme dating back to the season prior to the suspension, the Lakers are much better when Anthony Davis dominates. LeBron had pedestrian numbers, but he didn't have to be great either, especially when the role players step their game up. Now granted, I still don't like the starting lineup. I still don't like the fact that Dion Waiters is still playing minimal minutes even though he's the Lakers' leading scorer and facilitator off the bench. But, it is what it is. On a side note, it was nice to see J.R. Smith in the rotation and put up buckets, finishing with 11 points. I am thoroughly impressed with this win. It's just a matter if the Lakers can maintain this kind of consistency, especially from the role players as the series shift to Game 3. Lucky for them, they're not playing in front of a rocking Moda Center in Portland. Injuries aside, AD did sustain some minor back and ankle problems this game, but he seemed fine the rest of the way. Damian Lillard's injury to his index figure is something to look out for, which could be a huge break for the Lakers and a tough one for the Blazers. Game 3 is up next on Saturday! I'll see you guys later.

Raptors Clamp Down on Lakers

Final Score: LAL 92 TOR 107 [L] (50-15)

This game was brutal to watch. The Raptors take the 2-0 sweep of the Lakers in a dominating 92-107 win.

How the tide has changed. LeBron has owned the Raptors in the East. Since joining the Lakers out West, Toronto is now 4-0 against a LeBron-led team. LeBron James lead the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Better output, but it didn't have that much impact on the game. The other only positive here was the production from the bench. The Lakers dug themselves a big 13-0 hole. As soon as Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso subbed in, the offense got some spark to cut it to a 23-21 lead at the end of one. Kuz lead the bench in scoring with 16 points. Dion Waiters and Caruso followed with 12 points and 11 points respectively.

As for the negatives. The slow start at the game was a harbinger of many things to come that went wrong for the Lakers. Anthony Davis was held to 14 points after dropping 34 points in the opener against the Clippers. Danny Green had 7 field goal attempts and he missed all of them. Lakers paid $30 million for a streaky 3&D shooter. Turnovers at crucial times were prevalent. If there's any evidence that Avery Bradley's defense is missed, Kyle Lowry dropped 33 points and 14 rebounds. Lakers back court had no answer for him. Outside of Pascal Siakam, Toronto may have another star in development with OG Anunoby. He showed out big with 23 points from 8-9 shooting.

Overall, I gotta tip my hat to the Raptors on this one. They played well.. They clamped down on the Lakers with their swarming defense tonight. All this talk about Milwaukee and the two LA teams, we can't forget that the Raptors are the defending champions until they're dethroned. They could very well be the 2004 Detroit Pistons all over again. They don't have stars, but they're a scrappy, physical team with a lot of heart. That's the epitome of a championship team right there. 

As for the Lakers, if I'm Frank Vogel, there's gotta be some lineup changes after this debacle. KCP has been ineffective as a starter, but plays better off the bench. I would consider plugging Caruso in the starting lineup since he plays well with LeBron and is a better defender. Danny Green is a conundrum because J.R. Smith just got here. I'd keep Waiters on the 2nd unit. But, Frank Vogel has gotta switch things up with the rotation. Forget this loss and lock on to the Utah Jazz for Monday. I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Weekly Roundup #6: 10 Wins...and One December 1 Loss

November has been very kind to the Lakers. Outside of the early loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Lakers have owned the month of November. One could say they've had a far easy schedule against struggling teams. But one thing's for sure, they are taking care of business against teams they're expected to beat. Heading into December, the Lakers will truly be tested against teams with better records. How they fare remains to be seen, but let's take a look at how they performed this week.

11/25: @ San Antonio 114-104 [W] (15-2)

All of LA had their attention on this as soon as Lamar Jackson and the Ravens wiped the floor clean over the Rams on Monday night. You always have to be weary when San Antonio will start flipping the switch. But when your recent win is against the Knicks and you're 6-12, it's not a great start. As for the Lakers, they're surviving this road trip with some heart stopping wins at OKC and at Memphis. Can we at least have a comfortable win here? This is just what the doctor ordered. Looking at the highlights, the Spurs and the Lakers were trading buckets with no team having a decisive lead. That's until the 4th quarter. The Spurs had no answer for LeBron's scoring and facilitating prowess. What's even more lethal? His three point shooting was on point in crunch time. This is especially considering that Anthony Davis had a pedestrian game, yet he still showed up when it mattered the most. The final stat line: LeBron James lead all Lakers with 33 points and 14 assists. As mentioned AD had an off night, but still finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Rondo, KCP, and Troy Daniels provided that extra scoring power. We already know KCP has played lights out since starting, but Rondo had the shooter's touch going 3-3 from beyond the arc. He was especially big at helping the Lakers balloon their lead. The Spurs still fought valiantly as DeMar DeRozan continued to battle. During that fourth quarter, the Spurs were not going away as long as he's getting buckets. But my goodness, work on a 3-point shot man. Maybe your team will have a greater chance making this game close if you can just hit a crucial three.

11/27: @ New Orleans 114-110 [W] (16-2)

This is the most anticipated game on the schedule. Anthony Davis returns back to New Orleans to face off against his former team. With this, we are expecting a heavy rain of boos drenching on AD whenever he touches the ball. That's what transpired predictably. This wasn't just a return game for AD, but a revenge game for Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball. B.I. was 100% full go for this. Hart didn't miss one. And Lonzo? Nowhere in sight. Maybe he chickened out again, but his official prognosis was that he didn't play due to illness. Things got off to a rocky start this game for the Lakers. After a 10-8 lead, New Orleans fired on all cylinders from three. I gotta give credit to the Pels. They showed up this game ready to play. They were physical. They stretched the floor. Josh Hart nearly head hunted LeBron and AD. In that 2nd quarter, 'Bron bumped knees with Hart. And by the end of the third, gave AD a sore elbow. I'm not implying that Josh Hart is a dirty player. He wasn't notorious for that in his tenure with the purple and gold. But no question he was the common denominator when both the Lakers' star players had to briefly exit the game. 

The lead looked insurmountable for the Lakers to overcome. Davis overcame a slow start, but he wasn't getting too much help elsewhere. LeBron looked pedestrian in the first three quarters, missing free throws to make matters worse. Kuz was reluctant to take any shots. KCP, Rondo, Green, and JaVale looked awful. Out of the supporting cast, Dwight Howard looked sharp out of the gate. He was solid after laying a goose egg in San Antonio. Caruso was consistent as usual with his defense despite the lack of stats. Let's roll back to LeBron and Kuzma because when AD had to get off, they came alive down the stretch. Kuzma got in rhythm from. LeBron took over when it mattered the most. AD still finished the game and stuck it to New Orleans with free throws and a clutch steal over B.I. This game turned incredible at the end with the Lakers' resiliency and will to finish strong and that has been their MO all season long. A fitting end to what was a four-game road roller coaster!

11/29: vs. Washington 103-125 [W] (17-2)

The Washington Wizards may have a losing record to start, but they're one of the highest scoring offenses in the league thus far. The Lakers were down 9-0 to start this game to the Wizards. After that, it felt like a millennia that they shut out the Lakers early on. I could throw out a joke that the Lakers were spotting them points before they put the pedal to the medal. They did look sluggish and discombobulated on offense. But, that's exactly what they did. After that start, the Lakers outscored them 29-4, eventually ballooning the lead to 39 points at one point. LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their usual things as the purple and gold's dynamic duo, combining for 49 points. But, it was the rest of the supporting cast that stepped up. Rondo shooting the three ball well contributed to the Lakers storming back and keeping the lead for the rest of the game. Danny Green found the stroke from deep. JaVale McGee joined LeBron and AD in the double-double category with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Quinn Cook did some mop up duty and got hot in the 4th quarter. The defense held Bradley Beal to 18 points. This was a much-needed team-dominant win for the Lakers after pulling out close ones in the last few games. With this start, I feel like a teenager again with these Lakers stacking up wins and dominating teams they should beat. At 17-2, this is their best start 2008-09 if I'm reading the stats correctly. They were near perfect for the month of November with their only loss to Toronto back on the 10th. Now things get testy as the LakeShow puts their best record on the line against a daunting December stretch.

12/01: vs. Dallas 114-100 [L] (17-3)

I did say this December will be a daunting month for the LakeShow. Last meeting, the Lakers grinded it out with an OT win over the Mavs. Don't think the Mavs have forgotten that leading into these game. My head and neck area did some exercises rotating between this game and the Raiders' sh*tshow vs. the Chiefs. The Lakers had momentum at the first half. But, it all fizzled away from the Mavs' hot shooting in the third quarter. The Mavs outscored them 35-17. Not only were they draining 3's, but they were getting 2nd chance opportunities off the boards. AD, JaVale, and Dwight ought to be embarrassed by not boxing out with their size. They got outhustled every step of the way. The Lakers missed some shots with some pretty questionable shot selection. It was very uncharacteristic. LeBron turned the ball over 6 times and missed all 5 of his 3-point attempts. Despite the 25, 9, and, 8 effort, that certainly leaves a blemish. Outside of LeBron and AD, the team didn't have much help besides Caruso. Caruso did give the Lakers a spark when he hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead 87-75 in the third. Other than that, the 2nd half was all Mavs. You gotta give some MVP mention to Luka Doncic. It's a little early, but the dude has been nothing short of special in his sophomore year for Dallas.

*Next week, I will not be posting a Weekly Roundup. I mentioned this in my reaction to the Raiders' loss to the Chiefs. This semester is closing up fast and I have a daunting final paper (currently in progress) staring me in the face. I'll see you guys the week after.*

Lakers Weekly Roundup #5: Thriller(s)!

This is posted a little bit early since the Lakers have a game tomorrow at San Antonio.

We had to be on speed dial for this weeks' matchups. A lot of close calls on these games. Let's jump straight to this week's roundup.

11/19: vs. Oklahoma City 107-112 [W] (12-2)

I'm surprised that the Thunder haven't won a road game so far this season. For a team that's supposed to be in rebuild mode, they've done a good job competing. The only negatives I can think of this game was that Dennis Schroeder was unstoppable the first three quarters and turnovers. The Lakers dominated every statistical category, but they only escaped by with a 5-point win. Refer back to those negatives and you'd find out why. It was similar to last Friday against Sacramento. The Lakers looked like they were gonna pull away, but the Kings kept fighting back. Same case happened this game. The Lakers were able to get the victory thanks to their trio of clients of Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. Anthony Davis had a weird game Sunday, but bounced back this game with 34 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. AD's three-point game was on point for this matchup, satisfying to see. LeBron James notched a triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, but that is marred by 7 turnovers. When they had Chris Paul on the switch, he was able to bottle up ballhandling of the King. CP3 had a quiet game, but he was getting it done defensively. Have to give credit to that. And the final client of Klutch Sports, KCP, racked up 13 points. KCP is making us eat our words. He has been playing well since Frank Vogel inserted him in the starting lineup in lieu of the injured Avery Bradley. He's earning that money and that no-trade clause on his contract. In other news, Kyle Kuzma got poked in the eye really bad and pretty much the eye swelled up. We hope he's okay. This win wraps up the Lakers' home stand and they'll look to show out on the road trip ahead.

11/22: @ Oklahoma City 130-127 [W] (13-2)

OKC you again this game. As I mentioned in the last section, this Thunder team is a scrappy bunch despite in a rebuild year. This game had the same narrative as the last game. Except the Lakers trailed by the end of the first half. Momentum built up for the Lakers with KCP's buzzer beater in the 2nd quarter. It was a nice heave by Rondo to LeBron. And LeBron alertly tapped it to KCP to execute the beautiful play at the half. By the 2nd half, it looked like the Lakers were going to run away with it. But like the last, the Thunder continued to keep themselves in the ball game. That is until the dynamic duo of the King and the 'Brow came up clutch in the end to seal the win. Davis racked up 33 points and dominated the boards with 11 rebounds. James racked up 23 points and dished out the dimes with 14 assists. KCP and Danny Green provided the third option scoring with 17 points and 14 points respectively. KCP in particular continues to prove us wrong. His defense is not in question. His scoring though is just inconsistent. But, inserting him in the starting lineup is doing wonders.

11/23: @ Memphis 109-108 [W] (14-2) 

The Lakers just continue to give us a heart attack this week and what a way to wrap it up with another gutsy win over the Grizzlies. With the Lakers coming off a grueling back-to-back road win and the Grizzlies coming off extra days of rest, you'd think it work in the Grizzlies favor. The first half definitely showed that. By the time I checked into this game, the Lakers were down by 15 points. A loss would finally catch up to the Lakers. But by this period we should know by now, the Lakers always start slow and finish strong. They rallied in the 2nd half, eventually taking a 7 point lead. But, the Grizzlies answered with a run of their own lead by early ROTY favorite, Ja Morant. It also didn't help that the Grizzlies had the three-point game on lock behind Jae Crowder and Jaren Jackson Jr. Despite all that and the efforts that LeBron and Kuzma made to throw away the game, the Lakers wounded up escaping thanks to AD's clutch bucket and defensive play down the stretch. Before that, AD hit a game-tying three pointer, which was big. This game was ugly. Especially down the stretch with LeBron chucking up some threes to try to go for the knockout. Or when Kuzma had the game-saving steal and fumbled it to allow the Memphis to cut the lead to one. But, all is well when they pull out the W against a team they're expected to beat.

Lakers Weekly Roundup Week 4: Taking Care of Business

The loss against Toronto two Sundays ago stung the Lakers and they continued to sit as the 2nd best record in the NBA...behind Boston (bleh). But a loss is sometimes good. Multiple losses? Not quite. So far, the Lakers have stead clear of a losing skid. This past week's schedule presents a much easier stretch for the purple and gold. Why it's against teams that they're expected to beat! As always, it's better to not take any opponent for granted and the Lakers are well aware of that to start this season. Let's see how they fared this stretch!

11/12: @ Phoenix 123-115 [W] (8-2)

HIGHLIGHTS

Ah, good to finally see that the team is at full strength with the return of Rajon Rondo. Last Sunday was a tough loss to the defending champions, but it's time to put that in the rear view mirror with a bounceback win against the Phoenix Suns. When you think of the Phoenix Suns in the past, you think easy win. They've turned heads so far this season with a few upset wins on their belt. They are a high octane scoring team that can light up the scoreboard. The Lakers clearly got the memo here and played with a lot of urgency. Anthony Davis dominated his way with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but he had help closing this game out. LeBron did what he did with the 19 points and 11 assists, but it was the supporting cast that stepped up. Danny Green comes alive after a string of quiet games where he was a non-factor with 14 points. Dwight Howard notched a near double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds. And Kyle Kuzma, he had a terrible string of games against Miami and Toronto, but he came up big in his 23 point performance this game. No question, the Suns are on the come up. They finally have some veterans they can rely on. Ricky Rubio's addition takes a load off Devin Booker and allows him to do what he do best...score. But, the Lakers came to play and re-exert their hot start as the top team in the West.

11/13: vs. Golden State 94-120 [W] (9-2)

HIGHLIGHTS

For the past 5 years, the Golden State gods enacted their reign of terror across the NBA. When teams see the Warriors, they'd either cower in fear or answer the challenge...and fall short as they're overmatched by their talent. Now, let's look at this year, the Warriors are a shadow of their once unstoppable dynasty. They are no longer the gods of the NBA and are banished to league purgatory. To all my Warrior fans, have a seat. Welcome to the period that is rebuilding.

With the Dubs no longer a threat, the Lakers decide to rule out AD and Rondo for this game. Rondo just got back from injury. And of course, AD is a key piece. They will need the 'Brow healthy down the stretch. No AD? No Rondo? No problem as the Lakers stepped it up and beat down the Warriors like they should. Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee anchored the inside in AD's absence. McGee had 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks and Dwight had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and a block. I'm astonished Dwight is -4. It could be the foul trouble and some missed free throws. He did have some defensive breakdowns, but Dwight's performance was on par with McGee this game. Nonetheless, both bigs filled in well and dominated the Warriors' weak interior D. As mentioned no AD this game, but LeBron and Kuzma proved that the Lakers have an alternate dynamic duo in place. LeBron ran circles around this Warrior team: 23 points, 12 assists on 11-21 shooting. There was a scare in the first half when he slipped. We all know what happened on Christmas Day. But, luckily no injury for the King. Funny enough, the Lakers had a comfortable lead that he was not needed for the 4th quarter. Kuzma picked up the slack in scoring with 22 points on an efficient 7-12 shooting. He's really getting back into the groove of things and he's going to pick it up more as the season progresses. Quinn Cook chipped in 10 points. He did well against his former team. Nice revenge games for both he and McGee. A dominant win against the Warriors takes me back to the good old days when this was common and all my Warrior friends can't say nothing to me. To Dub Nation I say welcome back to being the punching bag.

11/15: vs. Sacramento 97-99 [W] (10-2)

HIGHLIGHTS

This game was a homecoming for Luke Walton since the Lakers terminated him by season's end. Things got off to a rough start in Luke's first few games coaching the Kings, but they're playing much better as of late. Sacramento has strung together some wins sans their key young pieces in De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. It would be sweet revenge for Luke if he coaches the Kings to an upset victory. They started off hot right out of the gate. With the way Luke coaches with that Golden State system, you know the Kings are going to rain threes all night. Things were going fine for Sacramento until LeBron killed Nemanja Bjelica in plain sight during the 2nd quarter. The guy is in his 17th season, yet he's still putting defenders on a poster. This game was a huge scare for the Lakers, especially in the 2nd half. When you think the Lakers were gonna pull away, the Kings kept knocking on the door. It's not just Buddy Hield as a scoring threat, but Richaun Holmes showed out for Sacramento. And there's also Bogdan Bogdanovic to look out for. I still get PTSD from last year when he nailed a cold-blooded three over Tyson Chandler to win the game in their first meeting at Sacramento. The Lakers got some unexpected contributions though. KCP, as much flack as he gets, he made a couple of key buckets in the 4th quarter. That can't be overlooked. Sacramento fought hard, but LeBron and AD closed out the game and finished off the Queens. LeBron made clutch free throws to put the Lakers in front. Then Anthony Davis denied Harrison Barnes as Barnes attempted the game-tying layup.

11/17: vs. Atlanta 101-122 [W] (11-2)

HIGHLIGHTS

Kobe Bryant was at this game! All present Lakers must pay their respects as they are blessed by the Black Mamba's presence. LeBron, Kuz, AD, and even Dwight Howard paid their respects to Kobe. Now, it's time to do him proud, embrace the Mamba Mentality, and kill the opposing team in sight. They did just that this game. Yes, I know it's against the Hawks who are not expected to be good, but they have some good young pieces. Atlanta got blown out the following night against the Clippers and the Lakers did the same. This was a weird game throughout, but all was right for the LakeShow. LeBron put on a show for Kobe with 33 points and draining 6 threes. The Black Mamba gave the King an ounce of his shooting venom for this game. AD had a strange game. He didn't grab a single rebound until the 2nd half. He still racked up some points and blocks though. And Danny Green had the highlight of the night with his putback dunk. I totally forgot he still had some hops. Not much to say about this game. It was just another wire-to-wire victory for the Lakers. They definitely needed this blowout after Friday's thriller.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (10/28 - 11/03): The Test

I'm behind and I just saw the Lakers' game tonight. Luckily, that won't be counted on for this week. After a tough opening loss to the Clippers, the Lakers are slowly finding their rhythm. Great win against Utah on the home opener and a win against Charlotte to close out opening week. Now, this stretch gets a bit bumpy with two challenging matchups on the road. But first they gotta take care of business against Memphis. Let's see how they fared below shall we?

10/29: vs. Memphis 91-120 [W] (3-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

I think we're witnessing a pattern here with these games. The Lakers will go on a slow start in the first half. But when the second half rolls around, that's when they start putting the clamps on opponents on both ends of the floor. This game was no exception. The Grizzlies jumped out of the gate on the LakeShow with 15-2 start. Based on the way Memphis was playing, it looked like an upset was brewing. Not too mention, the Lakers could not hit anything from beyond the arc as they started 1/11 from that category. But in the 3rd quarter, Anthony Davis was a man among boys. He single handedly dominated his way to transform this game into a blowout, bad shoulder and all. The 'Brow was beast on both ends, disrupting the Grizzlies' offensive blow and just bullying his way to the free throw line. LeBron doesn't have to be dominant as long as this guy is around and stays healthy. The man went for 40 points and 20 boards in three quarters. If that doesn't scream MVP numbers, I don't know what does. One thing important is that the Lakers protected home court during this stretch. Utah was their only challenge, but they took care of business against teams they should beat with ease. The true test lied ahead on the upcoming three game road trip to Dallas, San Antonio, and Chicago.

11/01: @ Dallas 119-110 (OT) [W] (4-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

I have Dallas as playoff contender this season and there's no better way to open up the road trip for the Lakers. The Lakers did their job to protect their home court, now the real test came on the road. The purple and gold get Kyle Kuzma back from injury, which is a big plus. However, he did struggle to get back into rhythm this game. As usual, the Lakers were off the rough start in the first half. It was a little scary since the Mavs got their 3-point game rolling. The sky was the limit for Luka Doncic in his sophomore year. He did a great job running the Mavs' offense and he created a lot of open shots for his team. The court will belong to Luka someday. But, the Lakers once again shook off the bad start. By Q3, the Lakers and Mavs were trading a lot of shots. I was a little concerned since the last thing this team needs is to be in a shootout. The way I see it, the team is not built that way. But they did a heck of a job to rally behind Air Caruso's ferocious throw down in the 4th quarter. That was a momentum-building play. The Mavs lead in the finals second with Dorian Finney-Smith's go ahead three set up by Doncic. But after the timeout, LeBron found Danny Green in the corner and he hit the buzzer beating three to send it to OT. From then, LeBron and AD took over and it was a wrap. The narrative is that LeBron's declining since the groin injury. Rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated as he notched a near 40-point triple-double with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. 4 steals too.

11/03: @ San Antonio 103-96 [W] (5-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Lakers wrap up their Texas rodeo with another daunting task against the ever-stingy San Antonio Spurs. The first meeting against the Spurs is always tough. Gregg Popovich always emphasizes on a team-first attitude. That's why they're always in the playoffs even without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. It was going to be a dog fight. But as usual, good teams find ways to win. LeBron and AD did their jobs this game. Another triple double for James with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. AD had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. But the main story was KCP, Avery Bradley, and Dwight Howard. They stepped it up big. KCP has been playing well as of late. He'll get cold eventually, but all is right when he plays well. Bradley racked up 16 points, though he did get hurt this game after Dejounte Murray kicked him in the shin. It's nothing major and likely a day-to-day. Spoiler alert, I did watch the Bulls game and see how they fared without him running "point." I'll provide that later in my next weekly roundup. Dwight Howard, especially stepped up with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. This is the Dwight we wanted to see back in 2012-13. But compared to now, he doesn't have a lot of pressure to do everything since LBJ and AD are the focal point. All he has to do is rebound, block, and putback dunk. That's it and he's made the most of it. Nonetheless, this was an impressive road win and the Lakers are pressing the right buttons to stay atop the Western Conference.