the Lakers They got their stars back and did everything they could to lose this game, but found a way to win in overtime when Ross took over and helped beat New York. Nix The second night of consecutive 129-123 Tuesday.
The Lakers had great performances from a handful of players to shut down the Knicks OT. Rui Hachimura was amazing in his second start as a Laker. He finished the night with 19 points and 9 rebounds. LeBron, who was doubtful going into the game, fouled and grabbed a triple-double – and his ninth pass of the night put him past Steve Nash making him fourth on the all-time assists list. AD got his wind back and nearly had a double-double with 27 points and 9 rebounds in the win.
The Lakers improve to 24-28 on the season and are now 1-2 going into this East Coast trip.
With Patrick Beverley out, Darvin Hamm finally opted out of his junior guard lineup and went with a larger starting lineup against the Knicks with Dennis Schroeder, Troy Brown Jr., LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Roy Hachimura. So how does the big lineup fare?
not bad.
They took an 11-5 lead using the big lineup and took control of the game early on as both teams struggled with early shooting, but the Knicks were slightly worse shooting 40% from the field in the first place.
The more Roy plays, the better he looks. Roy had 7 points in the first quarter walking on the floor, converting on his free throws and grabbing a pair of rebounds.
Last night, Max Christie’s play was uninspired, and I had my doubts Darvin would give him any run against the Knicks. Not only did he play, but he was also brought in at the 3:03 minute mark for the opening frame. He immediately made a positive impact, forcing a powerful shot from Emmanuel Kwekley as the shot clock expired, then crashing into the third corner on the offensive side of the ball. He finished the night with 6 points and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes of play. Obviously, he’s still getting the rookie treatment from the refs.
With a five-point lead on the road, the Lakers looked to close out the first half with an advantage. New York had different ideas and came out 8-2.
The quarter continued to be a back-and-forth affair, and by the end of it, the Knicks had the smallest possible lead by one.
The second half was much the same with both teams matching up. There were 11 lead changes in the third quarter alone and it was almost everything even after three. One rebound separated both teams, the Lakers had a three-point advantage and both teams shot less than 30% from three.
In the fourth, Darvin Hamm finally realized that it would be a good idea to play Thomas Bryant. He scored 4 points in the quarter and ignited the team with his rim finish.
The rest of the team rallied hot from the court and went 8-8 to start the fourth inning, but, as they had done all night, the Knicks stayed in the game. However, LeBron finally gave the Lakers some breathing room by hitting a big triple with 1:42 left to give the Lakers a six-point advantage. New York responded with a Quentin Grimes homer and a Jalen Brunson floater to tie the game all at 114 with 24 seconds remaining.
So here we are again. Draw game, Laker Ball, on the road. What will happen this time? Ross entered the ball, LeBron caught the ball, and the Lakers’ fate. He took the shot but unfortunately it was missed by Jalen Bronson who made the charge. Odd LeBron wasn’t just driving to the basket. With the Celtics referral debacle, you’d think he’d have a good whistle if any contact occurred. Julius Randle was unable to get a shot, and the game went to overtime.
In overtime we got a “good Russian”. He was making baskets, making swings, and feeding m. The Lakers executed a little better than the Knicks. The referees even overturned a goaltending call that was against the Lakers and Los Angeles closed the game for good, winning the overtime game after losing their last four games in overtime.
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Rotation at four and five is wide open. Wenyen’s good play last night goes unrewarded and unnoticed, as he gets a DNP tonight. Thomas Bryant has been good all season, but tonight, he only played 12 minutes in the first three quarters before finally getting a decent fourth-quarter turnaround.
Deciding who should start, come off the bench, and stay on the bench will be crucial for Darvin Hamm. Being four games under . 500, there’s little room for error and if the Ham gets it wrong, it could cost them games they can’t afford and keep them out looking in when it comes to the playoff picture.
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