03/10: vs. Brooklyn 104-102 [L] (49-14)
After an impressive weekend, you'd expect a hangover after. Looking at this week, I had this game listed as a "trap game." When you think about it. The Nets made some headlines letting go of head coach Kenny Atkinson and the turmoil that surrounded the Brooklyn locker room. The Lakers are riding high after snatching back-to-back epic wins against the Bucks and the Clippers. The Nets are still fighting for a playoff spot at the back end of the weak East.
As much as the Nets are heavy underdogs here, you have to give them credit. The Lakers started the game off strong, but they became too careless this game. Turnovers and the Nets' offensive rebounding gave the Lakers all kinds of trouble. LeBron and AD filled up the stats sheets, but this was a weird game for them. AD was quiet in the first half going 1-4 from the field and LeBron's bad free throw habits came back to bite as he was 1-4 from the charity stripe. That marred yet another MVP performance from the King. The Lakers had the chance to win it as 'Bron kicked it to AD for a wide-open game-winning three...that went in and out. That last play was a microcosm of the 4th quarter because the Lakers could not buy a bucket until it was too little, too late. I was hoping for win #50 here on a TACO TUUUUUEEEEESSSSDAY! But the Nets did well to steal a game here. After all, this is the same Nets team that pulled out a gutsy win in OT at Boston just a couple of days ago. Can we get Dion Waiters active now?
Well, who would've known that last night's game against the Nets would've been the last game the Lakers would play this season until further notice? For those who have themselves quarantined from the Coronavirus pandemic and have not been keeping up, the NBA has suspended this season indefinitely. It's been a crazy couple of hours as the basketball world found out that Utah Jazz Center, Rudy Gobert, has tested positive for Coronavirus or COVID-19. The Jazz were expected to play tonight against OKC. But, the game has been called off before the game started. Tonight's Pelicans-Kings game was also called off in the wake of this. Other games that were played tonight: 76ers-Pistons, Hawks-Knicks, and Hornets-Heat have gone on as scheduled before this news broke out.
This is a landmark precedent that the NBA is taking. The previous plan was to have all games played with no fans in attendance. But Gobert has taken Defensive Player of the Year so far, he shut down the league indefinitely. The Coronavirus has created mass paranoia. You have public events canceled left and right. With the NBA doing this, this might have a domino effect on the action plans of the NFL, MLB, and NHL. When one major sports league does something, the others will definitely follow. Heck, even WrestleMania 36 in Tampa, FL is facing cancellation! And I don't even watch WWE anymore! The first two paragraphs were pre-written as always, but these next two are definitely not. Who knows when we're going to see LeBron, AD, and the Lakers in action again? It could be a very long time depending on how this situation unfolds. Until then, stay at home and practice good hygiene peeps! Wash your hands and keep sanitized at all times!
Showing posts with label Brooklyn Nets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brooklyn Nets. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Monday, March 25, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup (03/24): Eliminated From Playoff Contention
*Some NSFW language*
It was only inevitable. But thank goodness it's finally over. After taking so many L's this month, the Lakers have been eliminated from playoff contention. There are three reasons for this underwhelming season 1) injuries 2) the failed fire sale for Anthony Davis 3) chemistry ruined by Magic, Rob, and LeBron pulling the string behind the scenes. In a 2nd half of the season that was full of drama, the Lakers have ruined in what was their most promising start from the 4th seed to eliminated. And the drama doesn't stop there. While this was overshadowed by LeBron's influence to urge the Lakers to build a superteam and bring Anthony Davis, tensions arise within the Big Baller Brand as Lonzo Ball did the unthinkable: leaving BBB for Nike. Those BBB shoes are probably the reason why he was injury-prone these past two seasons. Not to mention, their co-founder committed some fraud. Ouch. So much for the BBB empire. Then, there's the search for a new head coach. It's inevitable that Luke Walton is gone by season's end. Rumors of Jason Kidd possibly being next in line is starting to pick up steam. To paraphrase his own words, it's hard to pass up a franchise that breeds championship DNA. That hasn't been the case the past few seasons. So, let's round and solve the problem of the Lakers' being mathematically eliminated in this week's Weekly Roundup.
03/19: @ Milwaukee 101-115 [L] (31-40)
HIGHLIGHTS
The Lakers wrap up their 4-game road trip with a visit against the best team in the East. This was a guaranteed beatdown for the Bucks. No LeBron. No Zo or B.I. Even if the Bucks were without the Greek Freak, they're roster is still loaded. The Bucks had control for the majority of the game. That's until the 4th quarter where they tried to give the game away to the Lakers. KCP or Kenny as the Lakers social media nicknamed him during this game's recap helped lead the way, going off with 35 points. But, the Bucks depth showed by the end of the game. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez came to save the day to avoid an embarrassing disaster without their MVP. But on the flipside, they lose a key piece in Nikola Mirotic.
03/22: vs. Brooklyn 111-106 [L] (31-41)
HIGHLIGHTS
The stipulation is simple, if the Lakers lose this, it's officially over for their postseason aspirations. This presents an opportunity for the would-be successor of the Lakers. Yes, it had to be destiny that the one to bury the playoff hopes of the Purple and Gold would be D'Angelo Russell, the Lakers' former #2 pick of 2015. If we look at the trade in hindsight, the Lakers drew first blood on the trade. Then, the Nets came out connecting on a huge haymaker through D'Lo's All-Star play this season. He singlehandedly has the Nets primed for playoff ball in the East. The Lakers battled all game thanks to a monster game by JaVale McGee. I guess trading for Zubac would've been worth it if he put up these numbers: 33 points, 20 rebounds, 15-20 shooting, 6 blocks. It felt like prime Shaq was reincarnated. Ironic for the former Shaqtin' a Fool legend. But it wasn't enough as LeBron stumbled and tumbled down the stretch and the Nets grinded out another win over the Lakers. Poetic justice for D'Lo. Now for the sixth straight season, the Lakers get to sit on the couch during the postseason. *ELIMINATED* *Seppuku sounds* *UrinatingTree fans will get this reference*
03/24: vs. Sacramento 106-111 [W] (32-41)
HIGHLIGHTS
Oh, now they finally start winning. Where was this effort the last few games? But, it's the Kings. Even though Sacramento has improved through their young core of Fox, Hield, and Bagley III, they'll need a few veteran pieces to take the next step to the playoffs. Not to mention, they were coming off back-to-back sets. As meaningless as this was, it was good to see the Lakers finally win a game. The King and KuzMania powered the Lakers to this victory with 29 points each coming from both players. McGee didn't have a scoring explosion, but still contributed a double-double and almost half a dozen blocks. At this point, the Lakers have nothing to play for but pride. It would be an absolute miracle for this team to have some sort of shot at Zion Williamson in the NBA draft.
It was only inevitable. But thank goodness it's finally over. After taking so many L's this month, the Lakers have been eliminated from playoff contention. There are three reasons for this underwhelming season 1) injuries 2) the failed fire sale for Anthony Davis 3) chemistry ruined by Magic, Rob, and LeBron pulling the string behind the scenes. In a 2nd half of the season that was full of drama, the Lakers have ruined in what was their most promising start from the 4th seed to eliminated. And the drama doesn't stop there. While this was overshadowed by LeBron's influence to urge the Lakers to build a superteam and bring Anthony Davis, tensions arise within the Big Baller Brand as Lonzo Ball did the unthinkable: leaving BBB for Nike. Those BBB shoes are probably the reason why he was injury-prone these past two seasons. Not to mention, their co-founder committed some fraud. Ouch. So much for the BBB empire. Then, there's the search for a new head coach. It's inevitable that Luke Walton is gone by season's end. Rumors of Jason Kidd possibly being next in line is starting to pick up steam. To paraphrase his own words, it's hard to pass up a franchise that breeds championship DNA. That hasn't been the case the past few seasons. So, let's round and solve the problem of the Lakers' being mathematically eliminated in this week's Weekly Roundup.
03/19: @ Milwaukee 101-115 [L] (31-40)
HIGHLIGHTS
The Lakers wrap up their 4-game road trip with a visit against the best team in the East. This was a guaranteed beatdown for the Bucks. No LeBron. No Zo or B.I. Even if the Bucks were without the Greek Freak, they're roster is still loaded. The Bucks had control for the majority of the game. That's until the 4th quarter where they tried to give the game away to the Lakers. KCP or Kenny as the Lakers social media nicknamed him during this game's recap helped lead the way, going off with 35 points. But, the Bucks depth showed by the end of the game. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez came to save the day to avoid an embarrassing disaster without their MVP. But on the flipside, they lose a key piece in Nikola Mirotic.
03/22: vs. Brooklyn 111-106 [L] (31-41)
HIGHLIGHTS
The stipulation is simple, if the Lakers lose this, it's officially over for their postseason aspirations. This presents an opportunity for the would-be successor of the Lakers. Yes, it had to be destiny that the one to bury the playoff hopes of the Purple and Gold would be D'Angelo Russell, the Lakers' former #2 pick of 2015. If we look at the trade in hindsight, the Lakers drew first blood on the trade. Then, the Nets came out connecting on a huge haymaker through D'Lo's All-Star play this season. He singlehandedly has the Nets primed for playoff ball in the East. The Lakers battled all game thanks to a monster game by JaVale McGee. I guess trading for Zubac would've been worth it if he put up these numbers: 33 points, 20 rebounds, 15-20 shooting, 6 blocks. It felt like prime Shaq was reincarnated. Ironic for the former Shaqtin' a Fool legend. But it wasn't enough as LeBron stumbled and tumbled down the stretch and the Nets grinded out another win over the Lakers. Poetic justice for D'Lo. Now for the sixth straight season, the Lakers get to sit on the couch during the postseason. *ELIMINATED* *Seppuku sounds* *UrinatingTree fans will get this reference*
03/24: vs. Sacramento 106-111 [W] (32-41)
HIGHLIGHTS
Oh, now they finally start winning. Where was this effort the last few games? But, it's the Kings. Even though Sacramento has improved through their young core of Fox, Hield, and Bagley III, they'll need a few veteran pieces to take the next step to the playoffs. Not to mention, they were coming off back-to-back sets. As meaningless as this was, it was good to see the Lakers finally win a game. The King and KuzMania powered the Lakers to this victory with 29 points each coming from both players. McGee didn't have a scoring explosion, but still contributed a double-double and almost half a dozen blocks. At this point, the Lakers have nothing to play for but pride. It would be an absolute miracle for this team to have some sort of shot at Zion Williamson in the NBA draft.
Monday, December 24, 2018
Lakers Weekly Roundup (12/23): Readiness vs. Warriors = 50%
The most anticipated Christmas Day matchup is upon us. Last year, the Lakers took the Warriors to the limit in all four games. Talent disparity was the Lakers' downfall as they couldn't close out the Warriors at home twice in regulation. At Oracle? Much different story, but same result. With the addition of LeBron James, the man who got swept in the finals, there's nothing but revenge here. This is a test for the Lakers that they can dethrone the Warriors. But before we get into that, there's no denying that the Lakers have had their share of struggles as of late. The trade talk of Anthony Davis is heating up. LeBron's patience meter is, well, close to below zero. Drama and the bright lights of Los Angeles go hand-in-hand. One cannot separate from the other. Let's see how the Lakers' fare in the past week in the latest Lakers' Weekly Roundup.
12/18: @ Brooklyn 110-115 [L] (18-13)
HIGHLIGHTS
One year ago, the Lakers made a shocking trade that sent their then-rising star D'Angelo Russell and overpaid Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and a 1st round pick. So far, it has worked out well for both teams, but it looked like the Lakers got the better end of a deal. Timofey Mozgov had to be unloaded. $68 million for a guy who hasn't played much is by all accounts wasted salary. At the cost of one of the promising young cores, the Lakers shed much-needed cap space and got three young players for the price of one. This trade in particular helped the Lakers land a steal and a stud in Kyle Kuzma to go along with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Since then, two teams were going opposite directions. The Lakers secured the services of LeBron to put the Lakers back into conversation among the elite and the Nets were still in purgatory with a whole lot of unknowns. But to this point of this game, the Nets were riding a 5-game winning streak.
This spelled "trap game" for the Lakers like two nights before against the Wizards. And hook, line, and sinker, the Nets set up the surprise attack. The Lakers did all they can behind valiant efforts from LeBron, Zo, and Kuz. Lonzo Ball had a nice game with 23 points and an efficient 9-16 shooting and 5-9 from three-point territory. Too bad this effort was wasted on a loss and this kind of stat line from Zo is once in a blue moon. The major difference for the Nets was their bench and the former Laker who was to receive the keys to the franchise, D'Angelo Russell. D'Lo netted 22 points and a career-high 13 assists. Perhaps the most daunting observation was that Zo wasn't even matched up against him. D'Lo was defended by Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma and he put them on roller skates. As the Lakers rallied, D'Lo rallied the Nets, taking over the game as a scorer and facilitator of the offense. We can blame Magic and Rob as they had the final say, but let's not forget who the real culprit of the Lakers was when they were forced to trade D'Angelo. It was the offseason idiocy of the Lakers' previous regime that got D'Angelo traded. Timofey Mozgov $68 million. Luol Deng $72 million. One of the worst tandem of free agent acquisitions ever! I know it's been one year now and by all accounts, we've gotten over D'Angelo Russell. The phone snitching incident was a thing of the past. Yet, good to see "RussellMania" succeed elsewhere. What could've been with a Zo-D'Lo backcourt.
12/21: vs. New Orleans 104-112 [W] (19-13)
HIGHLIGHTS
We've heard all this before about trading for a star player in his prime to come to the Lakers. It hasn't happened yet. The latest of the talks, Anthony Davis. Let's connect the dots here, Anthony Davis is signed to the same sports agency as LeBron James. The addition of Davis would give the Lakers a franchise-altering star big man since Shaquille O'Neal. But of course, there are hurdles as the small market GMs came out of the woodwork to cry wolf on the Lakers and LeBron that they're tampering with AD. I mean seriously, LeBron just commented that him pairing up with AD would be "amazing." How the hell can that be tampering?
Onto this game, this was pretty much the Lakers' audition for the AD to LA hype train. The good news about this game is the return of Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo. The Lakers did all they could with a short-handed roster and it did experience some success. But since JaVale McGee contacted pneumonia, the Lakers' depth suffered even more. It was a sight for sore eyes to have SlenderIngram and Playoff Rondo back as they made quite an impact. B.I. is back to provide some length and another scoring option. Rondo restored order to the bench, but that also means Zo is back on the leash. JaVale McGee missed this game as well, but a forgotten man has stepped up: Ivica Zubac. Zubacalypse was back from the dead as he was the recipient of many passes from LeBron, Rondo, and Zo off pick and roll situations. He held his own against the likes of AD and another former-Laker in Julius Randle. Last year, Randle probably bullied Zubac inside and Zubac hasn't forgotten that as he made a key block on Randle late in the game. After this game, will that be a yes or a no AD? This talk escalated further when LeBron and AD had a postgame dinner after this game. That's another fine on the Lakers for "tampering."
12/23: vs. Memphis 107-99 [L] (19-14)
HIGHLIGHTS
In the first meeting between the two, the Lakers put a curbstomping against the Grizzlies in Memphis. After this game, that seemed like a distant memory. I'll give the benefit of a doubt, the Lakers were super thin in the front court without JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler, so we get to see extended action of Zubac and Mo Wagner. Zubac more action definitely. But despite the Lakers' rally, they couldn't extend the Grizzlies' 5-game losing skid. I didn't see this much of the game, but my goodness, Lonzo Ball had a trainwreck of a game last night. It's absolutely bad when he finishes 0-7 from beyond the arc and he throws a bullet pass over the first row in the stands. In fact, some of those misses were in crucial moments when the Lakers needed a bucket to stay alive. Don't get me wrong, I love that he's shooting it, but my goodness, drive to the hoop goddammit to get yourself going! We want to see aggressive Zo, not passive Zo who looks like he doesn't give a crap about the game.
After this skid, the readiness against the Warriors has significantly drop. Too much inconsistency. Free throws are still bad in particular. However, they are a bit short-handed and I expect to see them at full strength. Although, I'm not sure about JaVale McGee though. He just got out of the hospital after being contacted with pneumonia. It'll be unfortunate that he's going to possibly miss out on this revenge game since he's still recovering. Tomorrow night, it's going down on Christmas against the defending champs here in the Bay Area. And for my present? Open Thread and Full Recap is back for this particular game. See y'all tomorrow.
12/18: @ Brooklyn 110-115 [L] (18-13)
HIGHLIGHTS
One year ago, the Lakers made a shocking trade that sent their then-rising star D'Angelo Russell and overpaid Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and a 1st round pick. So far, it has worked out well for both teams, but it looked like the Lakers got the better end of a deal. Timofey Mozgov had to be unloaded. $68 million for a guy who hasn't played much is by all accounts wasted salary. At the cost of one of the promising young cores, the Lakers shed much-needed cap space and got three young players for the price of one. This trade in particular helped the Lakers land a steal and a stud in Kyle Kuzma to go along with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Since then, two teams were going opposite directions. The Lakers secured the services of LeBron to put the Lakers back into conversation among the elite and the Nets were still in purgatory with a whole lot of unknowns. But to this point of this game, the Nets were riding a 5-game winning streak.
This spelled "trap game" for the Lakers like two nights before against the Wizards. And hook, line, and sinker, the Nets set up the surprise attack. The Lakers did all they can behind valiant efforts from LeBron, Zo, and Kuz. Lonzo Ball had a nice game with 23 points and an efficient 9-16 shooting and 5-9 from three-point territory. Too bad this effort was wasted on a loss and this kind of stat line from Zo is once in a blue moon. The major difference for the Nets was their bench and the former Laker who was to receive the keys to the franchise, D'Angelo Russell. D'Lo netted 22 points and a career-high 13 assists. Perhaps the most daunting observation was that Zo wasn't even matched up against him. D'Lo was defended by Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma and he put them on roller skates. As the Lakers rallied, D'Lo rallied the Nets, taking over the game as a scorer and facilitator of the offense. We can blame Magic and Rob as they had the final say, but let's not forget who the real culprit of the Lakers was when they were forced to trade D'Angelo. It was the offseason idiocy of the Lakers' previous regime that got D'Angelo traded. Timofey Mozgov $68 million. Luol Deng $72 million. One of the worst tandem of free agent acquisitions ever! I know it's been one year now and by all accounts, we've gotten over D'Angelo Russell. The phone snitching incident was a thing of the past. Yet, good to see "RussellMania" succeed elsewhere. What could've been with a Zo-D'Lo backcourt.
12/21: vs. New Orleans 104-112 [W] (19-13)
HIGHLIGHTS
We've heard all this before about trading for a star player in his prime to come to the Lakers. It hasn't happened yet. The latest of the talks, Anthony Davis. Let's connect the dots here, Anthony Davis is signed to the same sports agency as LeBron James. The addition of Davis would give the Lakers a franchise-altering star big man since Shaquille O'Neal. But of course, there are hurdles as the small market GMs came out of the woodwork to cry wolf on the Lakers and LeBron that they're tampering with AD. I mean seriously, LeBron just commented that him pairing up with AD would be "amazing." How the hell can that be tampering?
Onto this game, this was pretty much the Lakers' audition for the AD to LA hype train. The good news about this game is the return of Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo. The Lakers did all they could with a short-handed roster and it did experience some success. But since JaVale McGee contacted pneumonia, the Lakers' depth suffered even more. It was a sight for sore eyes to have SlenderIngram and Playoff Rondo back as they made quite an impact. B.I. is back to provide some length and another scoring option. Rondo restored order to the bench, but that also means Zo is back on the leash. JaVale McGee missed this game as well, but a forgotten man has stepped up: Ivica Zubac. Zubacalypse was back from the dead as he was the recipient of many passes from LeBron, Rondo, and Zo off pick and roll situations. He held his own against the likes of AD and another former-Laker in Julius Randle. Last year, Randle probably bullied Zubac inside and Zubac hasn't forgotten that as he made a key block on Randle late in the game. After this game, will that be a yes or a no AD? This talk escalated further when LeBron and AD had a postgame dinner after this game. That's another fine on the Lakers for "tampering."
12/23: vs. Memphis 107-99 [L] (19-14)
HIGHLIGHTS
In the first meeting between the two, the Lakers put a curbstomping against the Grizzlies in Memphis. After this game, that seemed like a distant memory. I'll give the benefit of a doubt, the Lakers were super thin in the front court without JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler, so we get to see extended action of Zubac and Mo Wagner. Zubac more action definitely. But despite the Lakers' rally, they couldn't extend the Grizzlies' 5-game losing skid. I didn't see this much of the game, but my goodness, Lonzo Ball had a trainwreck of a game last night. It's absolutely bad when he finishes 0-7 from beyond the arc and he throws a bullet pass over the first row in the stands. In fact, some of those misses were in crucial moments when the Lakers needed a bucket to stay alive. Don't get me wrong, I love that he's shooting it, but my goodness, drive to the hoop goddammit to get yourself going! We want to see aggressive Zo, not passive Zo who looks like he doesn't give a crap about the game.
After this skid, the readiness against the Warriors has significantly drop. Too much inconsistency. Free throws are still bad in particular. However, they are a bit short-handed and I expect to see them at full strength. Although, I'm not sure about JaVale McGee though. He just got out of the hospital after being contacted with pneumonia. It'll be unfortunate that he's going to possibly miss out on this revenge game since he's still recovering. Tomorrow night, it's going down on Christmas against the defending champs here in the Bay Area. And for my present? Open Thread and Full Recap is back for this particular game. See y'all tomorrow.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Lakers Hold Off Nets for Bounceback Win
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*
Josh Hart stood out with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak, beating the Nets in a 102-99 thriller down the stretch. Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram were the other two Laker starters with double-doubles as Randle racked up 19 points and 12 rebounds and B.I. chipped in 16 points and dished out 10 dimes. Brook Lopez also 19 points to go with 3 blocks to round out the starters while Jordan Clarkson lead the 2nd unit in scoring with 11 points.
Final Score: @ Brooklyn 102-99 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180202/LALBKN#/recap
Next Game: @ Oklahoma City (02/04) <-- b="">*No Open Thread and Full Recap Posts in Observation for Super Bowl LII*
Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*
This win, the Lakers got back to the basics as to what makes them underrated: ball movement, unselfish play, players active on both ends of the floor, and crashing the boards for 2nd chance opportunities. This was a good bounce back win after a sluggish loss to the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday night. Hart, Randle, Ingram, Lopez, and Clarkson all stood out. What an impressive game by Hart with a double-double. He ran the floor and was strong to the basket. He nailed a couple of threes and lead all Lakers in rebounding. His three pointer in the 4th quarter to give the Lakers a 99-95 advantage was huge. Ingram was having trouble handling the ball. He sees Hart open in the corner and Hart hit an off balance three as the shot clock was winding down. Speaking of Ingram, he almost had triple-double if he grabbed two more rebounds. He did a nice job balancing scoring and setting up teammates for easy shots. A lot of people will point out the 5-14 shooting, but he's gonna continue to be aggressive and either draw contact or find a player who's more open. Jordan Clarkson started slow, but he was clutch with his 3-pointers in the 2nd half. Randle feasted in the paint, so did Lopez. He knocked down a couple of threes, but he was more effective going inside in the paint. Lopez' best highlight was when he made a nice defensive recovery to block Jarrett Allen's shot. D'Lo caught B.I. and Brook in the air with a fake and found Allen alone inside the basket. Usually, that would be an easy basket, but Lopez showed off some good lateral movement to make that block. This game could've easily gone to overtime. In the last play of the game, Dinwiddie found Harris for a great look. Randle was late to close out and the shot luckily just rattled out. Most of these road game victories by the Lakers this season are not pretty, but they do just enough to get the victory by any means. Daunting matchup tomorrow against OKC once again on Super Bowl Sunday to close out this road trip. The Thunder have been relatively inconsistent with their Big 3, but they've overmatched the Lakers in the last two meetings. Unfortunately, I won't be covering that game because of my commitment to cover Super Bowl LII, but expect another Quick Fact Check and Commentary post the day after the game.
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Brook Lopez Sticks It to Nets; Lakers Spoil D'Lo's Return
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*
Brook Lopez explodes for 34 points and 10 rebounds in the Lakers' 112-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Kyle Kuzma made his first career start and notched a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds. Brandon Ingram also added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson added 19 points from the bench and Julius Randle and Tyler Ennis each added 10 more points for the bench.
Final Score: vs. Brooklyn 112-124 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20171103/BKNLAL#/recap
Next Game: vs. Memphis (11/05)
Highlights: *Courtesy of NBA Conference*
The intrigue of this matchup circles back to the offseason trade the Lakers made with the Brooklyn Nets. They had to sacrifice D'Angelo Russell to get rid of Timofey Mozgov's ridiculous contract. In exchange, the Lakers get former All-Star, Brook Lopez on a 1-year rental and the 27th pick for this year's draft from the Nets. And in turn, the Lakers used that 27th pick to select Kyle Kuzma. Even though, these two teams will meet again at the Barclays Center, the first meeting usually sets the tone on which team had the better end of the trade. And based on this game, it's officially safe to say that the Lakers won the trade by more than a mile. Lopez and Kuzma showed out in this game big time. But without question, Brook Lopez wanted this game more. Lopez's block at the start of the game set the tone that he's going to look out for blood against his former team. He looked like he was Klay Thompson last night, running behind the three point line and shooting his threes. Lopez has been sharp the last two games and he's becoming what us Laker fans expected him to be: a stretch big man that'll drop 20 a game. Meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma drops a double-double in his first start. We all knew Kuzma was going to be a special gem and it doesn't matter whether he's on the bench or starting, he was going to produce and last night was another day in the office for him. This game also showed that Kuzma and Ingram can play together on the same floor. B.I. also had a good game and he's made a lot jump shots in this game, an encouraging sign that his outside shot is turning the corner. A secondary headline in this matchup circled around Lonzo Ball vs. D'Angelo Russell. This was a heated topic among Laker forums. D'Lo may have had his way in scoring, but Ball did all the little things right in this game, especially not turning the ball over. I'm not choosing sides here saying Zo is better than D'Lo or D'Lo's better than Zo. But, here's the thing, with Zo's presence, the ball movement is infectious with this team compared to last year when D'Lo was running the floor. That's my observation even though it's still early in the season. And once again, the infectious attitude of unselfishness showed to cancel out defensive lapses the Lakers had against the Nets last night. It's going to get more interesting when these two play again in Brooklyn, but Round 1 goes to Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and the rest of the brain trust of the Lakers' Front Office for making the trade.
Brook Lopez explodes for 34 points and 10 rebounds in the Lakers' 112-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Kyle Kuzma made his first career start and notched a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds. Brandon Ingram also added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson added 19 points from the bench and Julius Randle and Tyler Ennis each added 10 more points for the bench.
Final Score: vs. Brooklyn 112-124 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20171103/BKNLAL#/recap
Next Game: vs. Memphis (11/05)
Highlights: *Courtesy of NBA Conference*
The intrigue of this matchup circles back to the offseason trade the Lakers made with the Brooklyn Nets. They had to sacrifice D'Angelo Russell to get rid of Timofey Mozgov's ridiculous contract. In exchange, the Lakers get former All-Star, Brook Lopez on a 1-year rental and the 27th pick for this year's draft from the Nets. And in turn, the Lakers used that 27th pick to select Kyle Kuzma. Even though, these two teams will meet again at the Barclays Center, the first meeting usually sets the tone on which team had the better end of the trade. And based on this game, it's officially safe to say that the Lakers won the trade by more than a mile. Lopez and Kuzma showed out in this game big time. But without question, Brook Lopez wanted this game more. Lopez's block at the start of the game set the tone that he's going to look out for blood against his former team. He looked like he was Klay Thompson last night, running behind the three point line and shooting his threes. Lopez has been sharp the last two games and he's becoming what us Laker fans expected him to be: a stretch big man that'll drop 20 a game. Meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma drops a double-double in his first start. We all knew Kuzma was going to be a special gem and it doesn't matter whether he's on the bench or starting, he was going to produce and last night was another day in the office for him. This game also showed that Kuzma and Ingram can play together on the same floor. B.I. also had a good game and he's made a lot jump shots in this game, an encouraging sign that his outside shot is turning the corner. A secondary headline in this matchup circled around Lonzo Ball vs. D'Angelo Russell. This was a heated topic among Laker forums. D'Lo may have had his way in scoring, but Ball did all the little things right in this game, especially not turning the ball over. I'm not choosing sides here saying Zo is better than D'Lo or D'Lo's better than Zo. But, here's the thing, with Zo's presence, the ball movement is infectious with this team compared to last year when D'Lo was running the floor. That's my observation even though it's still early in the season. And once again, the infectious attitude of unselfishness showed to cancel out defensive lapses the Lakers had against the Nets last night. It's going to get more interesting when these two play again in Brooklyn, but Round 1 goes to Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and the rest of the brain trust of the Lakers' Front Office for making the trade.
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