Los Angeles heats up after win over Hawks
Los Angeles Lakers continue to lose players due to injury. It was announced Friday that Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV will be leaving the team. miss at least two weeks With knee tendonitis or a strained hip, respectively.
But they didn’t seem nearly as shorthanded against the Atlanta Hawks as they were in reality.
Los Angeles made a quick start by playing their own style of basketball. They kept the Hawks at a very low shooting percentage for the first half, and capitalized on their missed shots and errors.
The Lakers had 22 quick-break points in halftime, but even more impressively, Atlanta was kept at bay until the final quarter.
After Trae Young’s hot start, they coasted a little, but L.A. was able keep the Hawks at bay with its shots every time they tried to get competitive.
The Lakers’ 130-114 victory was their fourth in a row, and with an 18-21 record, they’re clawing their way toward the Western Conference playoff picture. Importantly, the players at the end of the rotation are contributing to offset any injury-related production losses.
LeBron James: A-
James looked very active and energetic tonight, and although he didn’t have the type of big game he had against the Hawks last week or the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, he was still very effective.
He scored 25 on 10-of-19 shots and had seven rebounds and 10 assists. He’s still having trouble hitting from 3-point range, and he committed five turnovers, partly due to some lazy passes, but other than that, he’s still near the top of his game at age 38.
James only played 33 minutes against Atlanta because the Lakers held such a large lead. It will prove to be very useful as the Lakers will face the Sacramento Kings tomorrow evening.
Juan ToscanoAnderson
Toscano–Anderson has been a great help to the Lakers in recent weeks with his energy and defense. He scored four points, but don’t pay much attention to his points; it’s his intangibles that help the team.
In 21 minutes, he had four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. At 6-foot-6 and 209 pounds, he gives L.A. some legitimacy size in both the forward and back positions.
Thomas Bryant: A
Bryant has been an integral player for the Lakers this season, particularly since Anthony Davis was injured.
He finished the game with 19 points, including 13 rebounds and 8 of 12 shooting. Plus one steal and one block. His positive start to the game was a 3-pointer that put the Lakers on top. However, his efficiency in the basket is incredibly high right now.
Bryant’s effort on the offensive boards and on putbacks is also very impressive, and overall, he is the type of lunch-pail energy player they really need.
Patrick Beverley: B-
Beverley finished 2-of-5 from downtown, 1-of-3 overall. He also had four rebounds. Four assists. One block. Even when his defense isn’t getting results, his mere effort on that end of the floor sets the right tone.
Dennis Schroder: a-/a
Schroder was aggressive in the second game, following a 32-point effort Wednesday. He scored 21 points on 7-14 overall and 5-of-8 beyond the arc.
People may nitpick the fact that he had only one assist and three turnovers. Still, this is the version of Schroder the Lakers need moving forward, especially as long as they’re shorthanded.
Wenyen Gabriel: B
Gabriel is a ball-finding machine. He plays with as much energy as anyone. In just 19 minutes, he had five rebounds and scored four point while also scoring two assists.
Russell Westbrook: A/A+
As he played a clean game, Westbrook was extremely efficient and effective tonight. He was 7-14 percent overall and 2-of-4 at 3-point land. That gives him 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
If this were a close game, he could’ve likely finished with a triple-double, which would’ve been his fourth of the season.
Kendrick Nunn: A+
Nunn is needed to be the leader for the Lakers with Walker and Reaves both out. He did that on Friday. He shot 9 of 16 from the field, and he finished with 23 points in just 27 minutes.
Nunn is clearly still a skilled and very competent player who scores efficiently at all three levels. It appears that he will be getting some playing time this month.
Max Christie: A-
Christie seems to be far ahead of where he was supposed to be in terms of his growth. He made both of his 3-point shots and scored eight points. He also had three assists, one rebound, and one blocked shot.
Christie could be given some playing time, similar to Nunn, due to Reaves and Walker’s injuries.
Cole Swider and Sterling Brown. Scotty Pippen Jr.
Swider, Brown, and Pippen were all left with little to no playing time at the conclusion of the contest. Brown and Pippen were scoreless. Swider, however, quickly scored a semi-contested 3 pointer after checking in.