Stephen Curry was not on the field. Indeed, there was just one game. The Lakers, though, appeared to be the team supporters had hoped they would be on one wonderful Los Angeles night when they defeated the defending champion Golden State Warriors 124-111.
The 13-point difference made the game look closer than it was, as the Lakers led by as many as 28 points and never trailed after midway through the first quarter. LeBron James had one of the worst shooting nights of his career, tallying just 13 points on a 5-of-20 clip. D’Angelo Russell exited after just nine minutes due to injury, too. Despite James, Russell, and Anthony Davis combining for 27 points in total, LA still cruised to victory.
It’s an encouraging omen for a Lakers side looking to make a playoff push – one that got the purple and gold faithful excited for what’s to come.
One huge factor in the win is their red-hot shooting, particularly from their bench unit. Both were serious problem areas for the Lakers before their trade deadline move that looked like strengths against the Warriors.
Even LeBron and AD were in disbelief at the lopsided scoreboard that actually had them leading for a change. They led by as many as 28 early in the fourth quarter which allowed Darvin Ham to rest his stars in garbage time. That’s a concept the Lakers haven’t been familiar with this season.
LeBron James and the Lakers still have a long way to go. They’re sitting in 13th place in the West and are 1.5 games out of the play-in tournament. But if Thursday night’s display was any future indication, things could very well be looking up sooner rather than later.
Source: https://clutchpoints.com
