Lakers open up 2020 with a hot start. The first three victories to open the year may be sluggish, but they did a good job in the next three. This week presents some favorable matchups and the team begins to embark on the long Grammy road trip. AD or not, they've shown they're capable. Let's see how they fare this week.
1/13: vs. Cleveland 99-128 [W] (33-7)
This game reminded me of that Denzel Washington meme where he hold onto his chest and laughs. I forgot what movie that was. Because it certainly looked like the Cavs were going to pull off the upset with the way that first half went sans Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo. Kevin Love went off to a hot start from what I heard. Haven't seen that since he put up numbers on mediocre Timberwolves squads. But, the Lakers turned on the jets in the 2nd half, putting Cleveland's false hopes to rest. LeBron James, down with the sickness and all, dropped 31 points on his former team. He also surpassed Isiah Thomas at number 8 all time in the assists category. Dwight Howard returned to form for this game, putting up 21 points and 15 rebounds off the bench. If there's anything this stretch indicates, the Laker role players are finding ways to step up without being in full strength. It's an encouraging sign. Now, imagine this kind of performance with this Lakers roster at 100%.
1/15: vs. Orlando 119-118 [L] (33-8)
And boom goes the undefeated streak against sub .500 teams. The Magic always find ways to have the Lakers' number at Staples. From the first half, things were looking pretty ugly. But, the Lakers managed to find their way back into the game with unsung performances from Quinn Cook and Troy Daniels. Both players stepped up and rain threes to bring the Lakers back. Then, Markelle Fultz took the game over with a triple-double of 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Whenever the Lakers had an answer, Fultz finds a way to respond with a big bucket for Orlando. You know else's the problem? Kyle Kuzma drawing iron all game long finishing with 4 points, going 2-10 from the field. Or LeBron being passive-aggressive this game with 19 points and 19 assists. He had the chance for the game-tying three and of course, it rimmed out.
1/18: @ Houston 124-115 [W] (34-8)
ESPN/ABC rolls out Saturday Prime Time NBA action for the first time this season. The Lakers begin their road trip against the high-octane offense of the Houston Rockets and the duo of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Once again, no AD this game, but they can take advantage of a slumping Rockets team on a 2-game skid. When you're coached by Mike D'Antoni, his philosophy is simple: 100% offense, 0% defense. Houston started out hot in the first half. But when the Lakers put the clamps on in the 2nd half, the Rockets' holes begin to rip open. After conservative play against the Magic, the Lakers took no prisoners in the 2nd half. Kyle Kuzma breaks off the rust with 23 points. LeBron was more aggressive this game. Danny Green went off for 20 points plus 4 steals. And KCP lead the 2nd unit with 20 points. We can live with Westbrook and Harden combining for 69 points this game. As long as the rest of the Rockets' unit don't show up, that how teams beat them. And the Lakers certainly did a good job holding the rest of the supporting cast in check.
Showing posts with label Orlando Magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orlando Magic. Show all posts
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Monday, December 16, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup #7: Southeast Road Trip
Roundup is back after a brief hiatus. The Lakers shook off the ugly loss against Dallas to open up the month of December. Last week, the Lakers made it known that the tough schedule wouldn't do them in. They notched road wins at Denver, at Utah, and at Portland. Arguably three of the most hostile environments and the Lakers shut out the decibels from those arenas. They had a brief home stint against Minnesota, but they were surprisingly in a shootout. But they pulled it off with AD's career night, dropping 50 points. Now, the Lakers are on the road again, putting the streak of wins outside Staples Center on the line once more. Their destination the past week? The South East: Florida and Georgia.
12/11: @ Orlando 96-87 [W] (22-3)
Orlando had the Lakers' number last year, there's no denying that. Now, that the Lakers have upgraded their talent, let's see what the Magic, a fringe playoff team last year can do now. Fair enough, they were missing a few bodies, Nikola Vucevic particularly. Even if Rondo and Kuz aren't playing this game, the Lakers still outmatch the Magic in talent. And it showed with a 26-9 shellacking in the first quarter and the Lakers didn't look back. Well, only for the first half. It's fair to say, the Lakers intentionally wanted to make things interesting by letting the Magic creep back in. Poor 3-point shooting and turnovers prevented the Lakers from attaining complete domination. Luckily enough, KCP and Jared Dudley (before he got ejected by backing up Dwight against Mo Bamba and Wes Iwundu) with their 3-point shooting down the stretch.
12/13: @ Miami 113-110 [W] (23-3)
This and Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks to end the road trip are arguably the Lakers' biggest test on the this road stretch. Streaks were on the line this game as the Lakers leveraged their 12-game road winning streak vs. the Heat's 11-game home winning streak. Miami has been an unkind place for the Lakers in the last decade, but the purple and gold have turned things around as of late. This game was a slugfest as expected. LeBron and AD had their off night in Disney World, but there was no off day in South Beach as they combined for 61 points. Though, the only blemish on LeBron was his 8 turnovers. He struggled handling the ball as Miami's D made it rough with their quick hands and zone defense. But, rebounding proved to be their undoing, especially in the final seconds. Despite KCP's 50% conversion from the free throw line after Kendrick Nunn's 3-pointer to cut the lead to one and end the Heat's 11-0 start at home. The final play though, there was a lot of contact between LeBron and Jimmy Butler. The NBA's report acknowledged there should've been a foul call on there. We'll take the victory though.
12/15: @ Atlanta 101-96 [W] (24-3)
It's always gotta be testy in Atlanta. If the Falcons can come back against the mighty 49ers, I'm sure the Hawks can upset the Lakers. NOPE! Despite the Hawks being competitive, they still find ways to choke down the stretch. You got Trae Young pulling up from deep and clanking. Despite the not so dominant win, the Lakers still managed to put up some highlight reels to wow the crowd even against themselves. I'm looking at the play where Rondo faked an alley oop to LeBron and LeBron faked the chase down block afterwards. It would've made it on Shaqtin' if the block was made. Superman was in the building for only two points with a Dwight dunk off the between the legs bounce pass from LeBron. Despite the close games, the Lakers had all the confidence in the world that they're unstoppable. The wins and all are good, but honestly, it's not a good look if they continue to play down to their level of competition. Confidence is good and all, but too much confidence? Anyway, wins are wins.
12/11: @ Orlando 96-87 [W] (22-3)
Orlando had the Lakers' number last year, there's no denying that. Now, that the Lakers have upgraded their talent, let's see what the Magic, a fringe playoff team last year can do now. Fair enough, they were missing a few bodies, Nikola Vucevic particularly. Even if Rondo and Kuz aren't playing this game, the Lakers still outmatch the Magic in talent. And it showed with a 26-9 shellacking in the first quarter and the Lakers didn't look back. Well, only for the first half. It's fair to say, the Lakers intentionally wanted to make things interesting by letting the Magic creep back in. Poor 3-point shooting and turnovers prevented the Lakers from attaining complete domination. Luckily enough, KCP and Jared Dudley (before he got ejected by backing up Dwight against Mo Bamba and Wes Iwundu) with their 3-point shooting down the stretch.
12/13: @ Miami 113-110 [W] (23-3)
This and Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks to end the road trip are arguably the Lakers' biggest test on the this road stretch. Streaks were on the line this game as the Lakers leveraged their 12-game road winning streak vs. the Heat's 11-game home winning streak. Miami has been an unkind place for the Lakers in the last decade, but the purple and gold have turned things around as of late. This game was a slugfest as expected. LeBron and AD had their off night in Disney World, but there was no off day in South Beach as they combined for 61 points. Though, the only blemish on LeBron was his 8 turnovers. He struggled handling the ball as Miami's D made it rough with their quick hands and zone defense. But, rebounding proved to be their undoing, especially in the final seconds. Despite KCP's 50% conversion from the free throw line after Kendrick Nunn's 3-pointer to cut the lead to one and end the Heat's 11-0 start at home. The final play though, there was a lot of contact between LeBron and Jimmy Butler. The NBA's report acknowledged there should've been a foul call on there. We'll take the victory though.
12/15: @ Atlanta 101-96 [W] (24-3)
It's always gotta be testy in Atlanta. If the Falcons can come back against the mighty 49ers, I'm sure the Hawks can upset the Lakers. NOPE! Despite the Hawks being competitive, they still find ways to choke down the stretch. You got Trae Young pulling up from deep and clanking. Despite the not so dominant win, the Lakers still managed to put up some highlight reels to wow the crowd even against themselves. I'm looking at the play where Rondo faked an alley oop to LeBron and LeBron faked the chase down block afterwards. It would've made it on Shaqtin' if the block was made. Superman was in the building for only two points with a Dwight dunk off the between the legs bounce pass from LeBron. Despite the close games, the Lakers had all the confidence in the world that they're unstoppable. The wins and all are good, but honestly, it's not a good look if they continue to play down to their level of competition. Confidence is good and all, but too much confidence? Anyway, wins are wins.
Monday, November 26, 2018
Lakers Weekly Roundup (11/25): "Too Close"
*Some NSFW language*
Improbable, ugly wins happen in sports all the time. They always have us asking "how in the literal fuck did we win this game?" It's even worse when the opposition is a mediocre team, but they keep it interesting because the game is too close. Like, this game should've been a blowout. Or when a team makes far too many mistakes, yet they still pull a W out of the hat against the oppositions. It's ugly, but a win is a win. You win far too many close games. But unfortunately, too many close games can lead to an eventual defeat down the road. This pretty much sums up the previous week for the Lakers. This is your Lakers' weekly roundup.
11/21: @ Cleveland [W] 109-105 (10-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
The King returns to his former domain of Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike 2010, LeBron was showered with a little bit more adoration in his homecoming in a different uniform. As I said, the man delivered his promise of a championship to the city in four tries against the OP Warriors. Cleveland, you should be forever grateful for that. Onto the actual game though, the Lakers struggled to find their footing against a previous mediocre Cavs team to the point they were down double digits heading into the fourth quarter. Jordan Clarkson was on a mission this game, not only to prove to the Lakers, but to prove to LeBron himself how much he's grown. It was a not too shabby game from our Fil-Am buddy as JC notched up 20 points and 5 assists off the bench. Unfortunately for the Cavs, they could've used LeBron to close out this game. Cause literally LeBron had deja vu and had to carry this Laker team to victory. He was the leader in the top statistical categories. Points - LeBron, 32 points. Rebounds - LeBron, 14 rebounds. Assists - LeBron, 7 assists. Cleveland, that was for you. On the bright side, at least the Cavs notched some surprising wins against Houston and Philadelphia following the aftermath of this game.
11/23: vs. Utah [W] 83-90 (11-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
What a turnover shitfest this game was. Look away casual NBA fans if you don't like low-scoring games unlike us who've grown up to 80's-90's BBall. Clearly, both teams missed dessert on Thanksgiving night that they decided to make up for it with turnovers. The Jazz committed 19. The Lakers? 23 turnovers. Usually, when the Lakers commit more turnovers than the opposition, they'd usually lose. But, that wasn't the case this game as they showed that they can play defense and hold opponents under 100 points. On the flip side, they did catch a break as last year's Rookie of the Year runner up, Donovan Mitchell had a rib contusion in the 2nd quarter and never returned. Who's gonna pick up the slack? Ricky Rubio? He only had 7 points and 3-12 shooting. For the Lakers, it wasn't just King James who got all the headlines. "Slender Ingram" was unleashed this game with 24 points and was in attack mode all game long. The 2nd straight time the Lakers bailed themselves out from another ugly victory.
11/25: vs. Orlando [L] 108-104 (11-8)
HIGHLIGHTS
With all these sloppy, close wins, the Lakers were due for a loss if they continue to keep cockteasing us that things are trending upward. That came to fruition this game. For the Magic's next trick? They make the Lakers disappear in front of their faces for the rest of the season. Serves the Lakers right for allowing the Magic to blow the game open by the end of the fourth quarter for being so nonchalant and careless with the lead. This will be just like the game in Cleveland right? Wrong! Oh, they did rally in the fourth, but I could not comprehend the shot selection down the stretch when the game was all nodded up at 104. Like why the hell are you guys jacking up threes? You could've just drive to the hole and if you draw some contact, you could make your free-oh that's right they shot 50% from the free throw line this game. A rally would've happened if it weren't for this team's free throw atrocity. I guess that's why they wanted to go for the knockout blow from deep. KCP's threes, way short. LeBron, drive to the hole! You're a 200+ pound freight train! Settles for an ill-advised step back three. On a positive note, McGee had a block party today with 7 blocks this game. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop Nikola Vucevic from dominating this team again like last week.
Improbable, ugly wins happen in sports all the time. They always have us asking "how in the literal fuck did we win this game?" It's even worse when the opposition is a mediocre team, but they keep it interesting because the game is too close. Like, this game should've been a blowout. Or when a team makes far too many mistakes, yet they still pull a W out of the hat against the oppositions. It's ugly, but a win is a win. You win far too many close games. But unfortunately, too many close games can lead to an eventual defeat down the road. This pretty much sums up the previous week for the Lakers. This is your Lakers' weekly roundup.
11/21: @ Cleveland [W] 109-105 (10-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
The King returns to his former domain of Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike 2010, LeBron was showered with a little bit more adoration in his homecoming in a different uniform. As I said, the man delivered his promise of a championship to the city in four tries against the OP Warriors. Cleveland, you should be forever grateful for that. Onto the actual game though, the Lakers struggled to find their footing against a previous mediocre Cavs team to the point they were down double digits heading into the fourth quarter. Jordan Clarkson was on a mission this game, not only to prove to the Lakers, but to prove to LeBron himself how much he's grown. It was a not too shabby game from our Fil-Am buddy as JC notched up 20 points and 5 assists off the bench. Unfortunately for the Cavs, they could've used LeBron to close out this game. Cause literally LeBron had deja vu and had to carry this Laker team to victory. He was the leader in the top statistical categories. Points - LeBron, 32 points. Rebounds - LeBron, 14 rebounds. Assists - LeBron, 7 assists. Cleveland, that was for you. On the bright side, at least the Cavs notched some surprising wins against Houston and Philadelphia following the aftermath of this game.
11/23: vs. Utah [W] 83-90 (11-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
What a turnover shitfest this game was. Look away casual NBA fans if you don't like low-scoring games unlike us who've grown up to 80's-90's BBall. Clearly, both teams missed dessert on Thanksgiving night that they decided to make up for it with turnovers. The Jazz committed 19. The Lakers? 23 turnovers. Usually, when the Lakers commit more turnovers than the opposition, they'd usually lose. But, that wasn't the case this game as they showed that they can play defense and hold opponents under 100 points. On the flip side, they did catch a break as last year's Rookie of the Year runner up, Donovan Mitchell had a rib contusion in the 2nd quarter and never returned. Who's gonna pick up the slack? Ricky Rubio? He only had 7 points and 3-12 shooting. For the Lakers, it wasn't just King James who got all the headlines. "Slender Ingram" was unleashed this game with 24 points and was in attack mode all game long. The 2nd straight time the Lakers bailed themselves out from another ugly victory.
11/25: vs. Orlando [L] 108-104 (11-8)
HIGHLIGHTS
With all these sloppy, close wins, the Lakers were due for a loss if they continue to keep cockteasing us that things are trending upward. That came to fruition this game. For the Magic's next trick? They make the Lakers disappear in front of their faces for the rest of the season. Serves the Lakers right for allowing the Magic to blow the game open by the end of the fourth quarter for being so nonchalant and careless with the lead. This will be just like the game in Cleveland right? Wrong! Oh, they did rally in the fourth, but I could not comprehend the shot selection down the stretch when the game was all nodded up at 104. Like why the hell are you guys jacking up threes? You could've just drive to the hole and if you draw some contact, you could make your free-oh that's right they shot 50% from the free throw line this game. A rally would've happened if it weren't for this team's free throw atrocity. I guess that's why they wanted to go for the knockout blow from deep. KCP's threes, way short. LeBron, drive to the hole! You're a 200+ pound freight train! Settles for an ill-advised step back three. On a positive note, McGee had a block party today with 7 blocks this game. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop Nikola Vucevic from dominating this team again like last week.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Lakers Weekly Roundup (11/18):- LeBron's Ascension on the All-Time Scoring List
*Some NSFW language*
This is why I liked being wrong about the fact that the Lakers getting LeBron would be a major mistake. Here ye, here ye! The King is here and exerting his throne in Purple and Gold royalty. Not to mention, the Lakers are riding high right now since acquiring Tyson Chandler from the Phoenix Suns. Though, they did take a hit with Rajon Rondo being out 4-5 weeks after having surgery on his hand, prompting the Lakers to call Wagner and Svi from the G-League. Nonetheless, This is your Lakers' weekly roundup.
11/14: vs. Portland [W] 126-117 (8-6)
HIGHLIGHTS
Oh, how the tables have turned on Portland since the Lakers snapped the 16 game jinx two weeks ago. Now, it's the Lakers turn to dominate Portland. LeBron obliges and proceeds to destroy the Blazers to the tune of a near triple-double of 44 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. It's too bad nobody could hit a shot to give him his 10th for a triple-double. In turn, he surpasses, NBA legend and Lakers alum, Wilt the Stilt, Wilt Chamberlain for number 5 on the All-Time scoring list with a three-point play late in the fourth quarter. It's going to be an interesting reaction when he surpasses the previous King of L.A. before him as he is now just a thousand points away from catching the "Mamba King."
11/17: @ Orlando [L] 117-130 (8-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
Not all streaks are created equal. It's hard to believe the Lakers' last win in Orlando was during the time the Magic's last superstar won his revenge game in his lone season as a Laker. Yes, The Lakers had he who shall not be mentioned who's battling all kinds of back injuries in his time in Washington when they last won in Orlando. For the Magic's next trick, they make the "Tyson Chandler effect" disappear. The Magic just destroyed the Lakers here as Nikola Vucevic dominated to the tune of 36 points and 13 rebounds. They did make it interesting though as Coach Steve Clifford elected to put his garbage time unit early in the game. Luke Walton emptied his bench too by putting Beasley and Myhailiuk on the floor. But, they made it interesting, cutting the 21-point deficit to a 10-point deficit. So, the Magic called a timeout, put their starters back in just for safe measure. While Luke just...What the Hell Luke? You could've put the starters back in! What is you doing?
11/18: @ Miami [W] 113-97 (9-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
LeBron once again took his talents to South Beach as the Lakers' fortunes continued to change in Miami. In turn, LeBron puts on a show to remind Heat fans of his greatness from 2010-2014: drop a 51-point performance in his return. The King dropped three ball after three ball. Dunk after dunk. Even Lance Stephenson, his former rival, challenged LeBron on the sidelines. "I bet you won't hit a three." Lance said. LeBron answered Lance's challenge just for old times sake and put a neat bow on this homecoming performance. It's too bad Dwyane Wade was not there, it would've made it more memorable. Hmmm...I wonder what's in store on Wednesday when the King comes back home to Cleveland? Will LeBron continue to personify his greatness? Will the City of Cleveland boo him or revere him when he's introduced? I mean honestly, why would they boo him when he carried that Cavs team to 4 straight finals and winning in 2016 in a monumental upset over the 73-9 Warriors? Tune in Wednesday on the next episode of "Lakers Ball Z!"
This is why I liked being wrong about the fact that the Lakers getting LeBron would be a major mistake. Here ye, here ye! The King is here and exerting his throne in Purple and Gold royalty. Not to mention, the Lakers are riding high right now since acquiring Tyson Chandler from the Phoenix Suns. Though, they did take a hit with Rajon Rondo being out 4-5 weeks after having surgery on his hand, prompting the Lakers to call Wagner and Svi from the G-League. Nonetheless, This is your Lakers' weekly roundup.
11/14: vs. Portland [W] 126-117 (8-6)
HIGHLIGHTS
Oh, how the tables have turned on Portland since the Lakers snapped the 16 game jinx two weeks ago. Now, it's the Lakers turn to dominate Portland. LeBron obliges and proceeds to destroy the Blazers to the tune of a near triple-double of 44 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. It's too bad nobody could hit a shot to give him his 10th for a triple-double. In turn, he surpasses, NBA legend and Lakers alum, Wilt the Stilt, Wilt Chamberlain for number 5 on the All-Time scoring list with a three-point play late in the fourth quarter. It's going to be an interesting reaction when he surpasses the previous King of L.A. before him as he is now just a thousand points away from catching the "Mamba King."
11/17: @ Orlando [L] 117-130 (8-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
Not all streaks are created equal. It's hard to believe the Lakers' last win in Orlando was during the time the Magic's last superstar won his revenge game in his lone season as a Laker. Yes, The Lakers had he who shall not be mentioned who's battling all kinds of back injuries in his time in Washington when they last won in Orlando. For the Magic's next trick, they make the "Tyson Chandler effect" disappear. The Magic just destroyed the Lakers here as Nikola Vucevic dominated to the tune of 36 points and 13 rebounds. They did make it interesting though as Coach Steve Clifford elected to put his garbage time unit early in the game. Luke Walton emptied his bench too by putting Beasley and Myhailiuk on the floor. But, they made it interesting, cutting the 21-point deficit to a 10-point deficit. So, the Magic called a timeout, put their starters back in just for safe measure. While Luke just...What the Hell Luke? You could've put the starters back in! What is you doing?
11/18: @ Miami [W] 113-97 (9-7)
HIGHLIGHTS
LeBron once again took his talents to South Beach as the Lakers' fortunes continued to change in Miami. In turn, LeBron puts on a show to remind Heat fans of his greatness from 2010-2014: drop a 51-point performance in his return. The King dropped three ball after three ball. Dunk after dunk. Even Lance Stephenson, his former rival, challenged LeBron on the sidelines. "I bet you won't hit a three." Lance said. LeBron answered Lance's challenge just for old times sake and put a neat bow on this homecoming performance. It's too bad Dwyane Wade was not there, it would've made it more memorable. Hmmm...I wonder what's in store on Wednesday when the King comes back home to Cleveland? Will LeBron continue to personify his greatness? Will the City of Cleveland boo him or revere him when he's introduced? I mean honestly, why would they boo him when he carried that Cavs team to 4 straight finals and winning in 2016 in a monumental upset over the 73-9 Warriors? Tune in Wednesday on the next episode of "Lakers Ball Z!"
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Lakers Cling On to Bounceback Win vs. Magic
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*
All five starters were in double figures for the Lakers last night. Brook Lopez was the Lakers' top scorer with 27 points as he helped bail out the Lakers to a 107-108 thriller with a couple of game-winning free throws. Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle recorded double-doubles as Kuz racked up 20 points and 10 rebounds and Randle added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Lonzo Ball finished with all-around numbers with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists and KCP chipped in 10 points to round out the starters. I.T. was one shy of a double-double as he lead the 2nd unit with 13 points and 9 dimes.
Final Score: vs. Orlando 107-108 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180307/ORLLAL#/recap
Next Game: @ Denver (03/09)
Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*
Looking back at this game, this was the most bizarre win so far of the season based on the finish. The clock operator thought that Brook Lopez tipped the end bounds pass, prompting the clock to run out early than expected. It should've started when Lonzo deflected the pass and the game would've been over. It was really weird that the refs called for a jump ball. Regardless, the Magic were in a lose-lose situation on that last play. This shouldn't have come down to a one-point lead. This was much like the Blazers game on Monday where the Lakers built a big lead and it just evaporated in crunch time. Again, they were more focused on going for the knockout blow rather than just go through their offense and settle for high-percentage looks. It almost killed them at the end again, but Brook played the "miracle worker" and won the game for the Lakers off two clutch free throws. It was smart that he went down low and drew the contact on Vucevic. Brook Lopez's game last night was the Brook Lopez I expected when the Lakers got him from the Nets in the first place. It boggles my mind that he's more than capable of taking it to the post, but he insists on camping on the three-point line for some reason. He'll make some threes, but most of three pointers hit nothing but iron. This is what we want out of Lopez, to score more inside and he did that last night. But, everybody's gonna talk about the 0 rebounds though. We know he's a rare case of a big man that doesn't get double-digits boards, but c'mon now. But outside Lopez, Kuzma came alive last night. I noticed that most of Kuz's struggles had to do with him rushing his shots a bit and being unbalanced with his jumper. He got back to the basics of what made him a draft day steal and that was encouraging to see. Randle's 20+ point streak came to an end, but he still made his presence felt as a bully down low. I.T. showed really good balance as a scorer and facilitator coming off the bench and took better percentage shots. Zo was solid, but he needs to calm down on the three-point game. He hit four, but he took some threes that were way out of range. Though, that has to do with the Lakers being out of sync offensively as the shot clock was about to expire. The Lakers were fortunate to come out with this win. But the way they've been blowing leads as of late is really concerning and that's where they really miss Ingram's capability of slowing things down and embracing that "closer" role. They also miss Josh Hart being at the right place at the right time to knock down big time high-percentage shots. The upcoming stretch for the Lakers is a big one if they're really thinking playoffs. Denver surrendered the 8th seed momentarily to the Clippers after the Cavs beat them last night and they're looking to regain that quickly when the Lakers come to town Friday night. These games down the line against teams in playoff contention are huge for this young Lakers team.
All five starters were in double figures for the Lakers last night. Brook Lopez was the Lakers' top scorer with 27 points as he helped bail out the Lakers to a 107-108 thriller with a couple of game-winning free throws. Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle recorded double-doubles as Kuz racked up 20 points and 10 rebounds and Randle added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Lonzo Ball finished with all-around numbers with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists and KCP chipped in 10 points to round out the starters. I.T. was one shy of a double-double as he lead the 2nd unit with 13 points and 9 dimes.
Final Score: vs. Orlando 107-108 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180307/ORLLAL#/recap
Next Game: @ Denver (03/09)
Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*
Looking back at this game, this was the most bizarre win so far of the season based on the finish. The clock operator thought that Brook Lopez tipped the end bounds pass, prompting the clock to run out early than expected. It should've started when Lonzo deflected the pass and the game would've been over. It was really weird that the refs called for a jump ball. Regardless, the Magic were in a lose-lose situation on that last play. This shouldn't have come down to a one-point lead. This was much like the Blazers game on Monday where the Lakers built a big lead and it just evaporated in crunch time. Again, they were more focused on going for the knockout blow rather than just go through their offense and settle for high-percentage looks. It almost killed them at the end again, but Brook played the "miracle worker" and won the game for the Lakers off two clutch free throws. It was smart that he went down low and drew the contact on Vucevic. Brook Lopez's game last night was the Brook Lopez I expected when the Lakers got him from the Nets in the first place. It boggles my mind that he's more than capable of taking it to the post, but he insists on camping on the three-point line for some reason. He'll make some threes, but most of three pointers hit nothing but iron. This is what we want out of Lopez, to score more inside and he did that last night. But, everybody's gonna talk about the 0 rebounds though. We know he's a rare case of a big man that doesn't get double-digits boards, but c'mon now. But outside Lopez, Kuzma came alive last night. I noticed that most of Kuz's struggles had to do with him rushing his shots a bit and being unbalanced with his jumper. He got back to the basics of what made him a draft day steal and that was encouraging to see. Randle's 20+ point streak came to an end, but he still made his presence felt as a bully down low. I.T. showed really good balance as a scorer and facilitator coming off the bench and took better percentage shots. Zo was solid, but he needs to calm down on the three-point game. He hit four, but he took some threes that were way out of range. Though, that has to do with the Lakers being out of sync offensively as the shot clock was about to expire. The Lakers were fortunate to come out with this win. But the way they've been blowing leads as of late is really concerning and that's where they really miss Ingram's capability of slowing things down and embracing that "closer" role. They also miss Josh Hart being at the right place at the right time to knock down big time high-percentage shots. The upcoming stretch for the Lakers is a big one if they're really thinking playoffs. Denver surrendered the 8th seed momentarily to the Clippers after the Cavs beat them last night and they're looking to regain that quickly when the Lakers come to town Friday night. These games down the line against teams in playoff contention are huge for this young Lakers team.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Lakers Lose Ugly in Orlando
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*
Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle both lead the Lakers in scoring with 20 points. Randle added 9 rebounds as a starter and Clarkson added 5 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench, but the Lakers couldn't stop the Magic barrage in Orlando, losing 105-127. Brandon Ingram added 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists and KCP added 12 points to round out the starters while Kyle Kuzma chipped in 11 points to go along with the 2nd unit.
Final Score: @ Orlando 105-127 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180131/LALORL#/recap
Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*
Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle both lead the Lakers in scoring with 20 points. Randle added 9 rebounds as a starter and Clarkson added 5 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench, but the Lakers couldn't stop the Magic barrage in Orlando, losing 105-127. Brandon Ingram added 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists and KCP added 12 points to round out the starters while Kyle Kuzma chipped in 11 points to go along with the 2nd unit.
Final Score: @ Orlando 105-127 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180131/LALORL#/recap
Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*
"HOW!?" That was my initial question when I saw the final score of this game. This game had all the makings of a bounce back win after a tough loss to the Raptors in Toronto. The Magic were no better record-wise than the Lakers and they have a really thin front court with Vucevic and Gordon out for them. And somehow, the Magic just hammered the Lakers. For the most part, the only positive was that the Lakers were able to exploit that, which is why Randle had a field day in the paint based on the highlights. The first half was pretty competitive and then the game went sour by the 3rd quarter. There's one category the Magic destroyed the Lakers on: 3-pointers. They had a field day, shooting 18-32 from beyond the arc. Jonathan Simmons, Mo Speights, Evan Fournier, and Mario Hezonja (of all people) were on target for the most part of the game. It's like a matter where was the defense? Where was the ball pressure? It definitely wasn't on display this game. It definitely didn't help that the Lakers shot 20% from three point land, which is not their game. The Lakers just didn't have that energy as Luke Walton puts it. Not sure if the Magic was just on target or if it was an overall lackadaisical effort on the defensive end. Certainly, the Lakers are much better than the team that just surrendered 127 points to the Magic, a team that can't get over the hump of mediocrity. No question, that this loss wreaked of disappointment.
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