Prior to the trade deadline, it would have been impossible for the Los Angeles Lakers to win a game in which LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 25 points on 8 of 25 shooting.
And yet, not only was that the case in the Lakers’ spirited victory over the Golden State Warriors (albeit without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins) on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena, Ham’s squad cruised in the first of what AD deemed a string of “must-win” games as the playoff push heats up.
The Lakers’ decisive 124-111 romp (D’Angelo Russell exited early with a tweaked ankle) was their second straight blowout win, following a 120-102 triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans (sans Zion Williamson) before the All-Star break.
Incidentally, the Lakers are 2-0 post-deadline when LeBron and AD suit up. Both Ws have shone a spotlight on the depth Rob Pelinka accrued via trades.
Against New Orleans, LeBron (nursing troublesome foot soreness that also slowed him on Thursday) enjoyed his lowest minute total (29) of the season to that point. Davis (13-of-17 FG) got his groove back and only played 30 minutes. The new-look Lakers played with a refreshing looseness and joy.
In the team’s return from break, LeBron — who called the last 23 games the “most important” of his regular-season career — had his worst offensive performance of 2022-23: 13 points, 5-of-20 shooting. But, he set a fresh mark for his fewest minutes of the season (26).
Davis focused on defense and rebounding. In merely 26 minutes, he posted 12 points on five shot attempts, 12 rebounds, and two blocks.
Meanwhile, the depth, energy, and versatility of the Lakers’ revamped roster were on full display. Swiss Army Knife Jarred Vanderbilt had nine rebounds and was a +16. Mo Bamba grabbed 13 boards and drained a couple of triples. Dennis Schroder covered for Russell and contributed 13 points and six assists off the bench. Rui Hachimura scored 14 points in 25 minutes.
Austin Reaves (17 points) made all six of his field goal attempts. Afterward, Ham called Reaves “an all-round fantastic basketball player,” while AD said he can “do it all” and is no longer surprised by his production.
The game ball goes to Malik Beasley, who broke out of a brief shooting slump to drop 25 points on a 7-of-11 showing from downtown.
“We have guys in that second unit that have been in the starting lineup and played starter’s minutes and closed games for us and had big moments in big games,” said Ham. “So we have confidence in the entire roster.”
Davis said he encouraged Beasley to seek his shot at shootaround that morning.
“It kind of reminds me of me and (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) had that action where it’s single action and he’d come off shooting and you can’t go under. Beaz can shoot it and can drive, he’ll just make a read whether he finishes or throw a lob. So, we have that ability and he has that ability to playmake. So, having a piece like that, able to space the floor definitely helps us a lot.”
Beasley recalled the interatcion.
“He threw it back, and he was like, ‘Shoot the ball!’ So we had to do it all over again. Same with Coach, he told me to shoot the ball, keep shooting. And that feels good when you’re a shooter. It gets my confidence high, AD and LeBron keep saying, ‘We gonna get ours, so do what you do and keep spacing the floor and knock down shots.’”
“Just a sniper, nonstop staying aggressive,” Ham said about Beasley. Ham called the Lakers’ deadline moves a “great shot in the arm” in general.
Since the onset of 2021-22, the Lakers have needed LeBron and AD to be available and dominant to compete. Suddenly, they’re plowing down Western Conference foes when the stars struggle.
“LeBron and AD didn’t get going as much as they wanted tonight, but we’re deep, and I think that’s the statement we want to make,” said Beasley. “It can be any player on any given night.”
Source: https://clutchpoints.com
