Whether it’s happenstance, the benefits of an extra home game, or the simple allure of a bag, the NBA In-Season Tournament is bringing out the best in the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers (9-6) rolled to a 131-99 victory over the Utah Jazz (4-10) on Tuesday, thereby clinching a spot in the Knockout Round. The Lakers finished 4-0 in West Group A with an unmatchable point differential (+74), guaranteeing they’ll earn the first or second seed in the quarterfinals and play host on Dec. 4 or 5. The Lakers are 7-1 at Crypto.com Arena and 2-5 away. (The semifinals and championship will take place in Vegas on Dec. 7 and 9.)
“We’ve been playing really well at home and very poorly on the road,” said Anthony Davis. “It gives us a little bit of an advantage.”
Despite a jam-packed pre-Thanksgiving schedule — Wednesday’s contest vs. the Dallas Mavericks will be a seventh game in 11 days — the Lakers have won six of seven and three in a row. Conveniently, they were able to limit the workloads for Davis (29 minutes, 26 points, 16 rebounds) and LeBron James (24 minutes, 17 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) on the first leg of their back-to-back.
Pretty much everything came easy for the Lakers. AD and Darvin Ham said their team was focused inward, specifically on defensive rebounding, winning in transition, and dominating inside against a Walker Kessler-less Utah squad. The Lakers were +10 on the glass, +16 in fast break points, and +22 in the paint. Their energy and pace on both ends were ideal. Utah shot 38.8% and 25% from distance.
Seven players hit double figures. D’Angelo Russell (20 points, eight assists) and Austin Reaves (19/5/5) were sharp. LeBron, somehow, continues to drain triples and fly around. After a couple of clanky games, Davis is 12-of-29 from the field over the past two outings. (One unfortunate development: key defender Cam Reddish exited with a groin issue. Ham said Max Christie “could be really prominent” in the rotation ASAP.)
“In order for us to be successful, I have to be very aggressive,” AD said. “That’s what I tried to do tonight, the other night, tomorrow, rest of the season … Got back in the gym, focused on my shot. Shot wasn’t falling, so just getting back to the basics, getting back to the fundamentals. Playing hard, playing aggressive, having fun.”
The Lakers were 3-5 and sputtering along when they opened group play with their first road win of the season against the Phoenix Suns. Now, thanks to a dominant tourney run, the Lakers are finding a groove. And that’s with critical pieces — Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, now Reddish, possibly — still sidelined.
“We don’t know what we have just yet,” said LeBron. “We haven’t been whole yet. We have not been whole yet. Not one time this season yet. So, we don’t know exactly what we have.”
In the meantime, they can enjoy a stress-free night at the office and a couple extra days at home in early December.
“It’s just the travel aspect,” said AD. “Not having to go travel somewhere and line it up. You get some sleep in your own bed and stay in your home routine and able to play at home in front of your home fans. That’s always a good thing.”
