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Shorthanded Lakers Get 60 Points from LeBron and Anthony Davis, Squeak Past Utah 105-104
The Lakers came into Sunday’s game in Utah a weary team, and beyond their normal slate of injuries (Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes) they added D’Angelo Russell (illness), Cam Reddish (also sick) and Austin Reaves (pelvic contusion suffered in his fall Friday vs. OKC).
Circumstances, then, transformed the game from, with a little focus and solid play, to get a win and some rest ahead of tonight’s game against the Wolves in Minnesota to one perhaps channeling the late Al Davis: Just win, baby. And while it wasn’t exactly a work of art, the Lakers got it done. They needed a star performance from Anthony Davis (33 points, 11 rebounds) and a nice bounceback from LeBron James (27 points, 13 dimes, only three turnovers), but they got it done, hanging on to win by a point, 105-104.
Without two of their three rotation guards, it’s not surprising the offense got stuck in the mud, and the Lakers (said JJ Redick) were basically forced to lean unusually hard into LeBron pick-and-rolls as the game went on. By the fourth quarter, that’s about all they were running. And, whether through one more bucket or one more stop, the Lakers couldn’t execute at a high enough level to keep it from coming down to a final possession. They were aided by a coaching gaffe from Jazz coach Will Hardy. All true.
But this was a game they had to have, facing a back-to-back tonight, their fifth game in seven days. And playing shorthanded, the Lakers were able to get good contributions from Gabe Vincent (10 points, his high with the Lakers) and meaningful minutes from Jalen Hood-Schifino and Armel Traoire. Max Christie continues to quietly round into the form LA was hoping for when they gave him an extension this summer.
Doesn’t mean they’ve figured it all out, but given the choice between accentuating the positive or noting the negative following the game, JJ Redick went with the former. And it makes sense. Contextually, this game was tricky. It demanded some perseverance and adaptability. And it was enough.
Barely, but enough, nonetheless.
Overheard In This Episode...
1. “This was Gabe Vincent’s first regular season game as a Laker in double figures... I think part of what has led Gabe to not have a role on this team and not have a comfortable fit is he needs a certain amount of usage to really be useful as a player.”
2. “I understand that there are going to be Laker fans thoroughly unimpressed by this showing.”
3. “Max Christie has increasingly looked the part of a guy that the Lakers paid this offseason. He looks now, at minimum, like a legit NBA rotation player.”
December 1, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada/Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
You’d be forgiven if, a quarter of the way through the season (yes), you haven’t given the following teams that much attention. Maybe your main rooting interest has been struggling, and it’s taken all your psychic energy to will them through the slump. Better yet, maybe your team is thriving and you’ve been enjoying the ride. Maybe you’re still looking for a team to get behind, in which case, the following three franchises would make great options.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks being on this list has not alleviated my general wariness of the Hawks as a whole, but they’ve been playing through some of the things that make me doubt them. First, the Hawks love to play up. That is, they tend to excel against technically better and markedly more skilled teams; teams farther along the competitive timeline that I always get they feeling Atlanta would rather emulate than put the work in to be at the same level with.
This season, the Hawks are still playing up — they’ve beat the best in conference Cavaliers twice — but they’re recognizing what should be easy wins, like against the Charlotte Hornets. With Trae Young injured and in and out of the lineup, Atlanta’s bench has provided some of the most needed and entertaining offensive bursts in the league, with De’Andre Hunter back with a vengeance after being out for 10 games with a knee injury. Hunter’s regularly putting up 20-plus points per night, and hounding the glass.
Atlanta has a string of high-low games this week, facing the Pelicans, Bucks, Lakers and Nuggets, which should be an ample test to whether they can play and stay consistent.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Replay The Lakers secured a win against the Jazz, starting their road trip on a high note. Anthony Davis and LeBron James led the charge for the short-handed squad. Final score and full stats are available. (Silver Screen and Roll)
Analysis In a breakdown of the Lakers’ victory over the Jazz, player grades highlight strong performances from Anthony Davis and LeBron James, including detailed stats and insights on their contributions. (Silver Screen and Roll)
Preview The Lakers face off against the Timberwolves with several key players out. Check the injury report and viewing details for this crucial matchup. (Silver Screen and Roll)
Milestone Jimmy Butler misses shot so Bam Adebayo can record a triple-double in Heat win (Bleacher Report)
Monday, Dec. 02 | 7:00 PM | Target Center (Minneapolis, MN) | Get Tickets
Lakers @ Heat
Wednesday, Dec. 04 | 7:30 PM | Kaseya Center (Miami, FL) | Get Tickets
Lakers @ Hawks
Friday, Dec. 06 | 7:30 PM | State Farm Arena (Atlanta, GA) | Get Tickets
3peat (ICYMI)
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Shorthanded Lakers Get 60 Points from LeBron and Anthony Davis, Squeak Past Utah 105-104 The Lakers came into Sunday’s game in Utah a weary team, and beyond their normal slate of injuries (Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes) they added D’Angelo Russell (illness), Cam Reddish (also sick) and Austin Reaves (pelvic contusion suffered in his fall Friday vs. OKC). Circumstances, then, transformed the game from, with a little focus and solid play, to get a win and some rest ahead of tonight’s game against the Wolves in Minnesota to one perhaps channeling the late Al Davis: Just win, baby.
BONUS: Lakers Lose 101-93 to Thunder. Knecht Scores 20, but LeBron, AD Combine for Just 27 Points There were plenty of things to like about the way the Lakers played Friday against Oklahoma City, despite losing 101-93 to the Thunder. Most of them have to do with improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Low bar to clear, of course, but the Lakers played as good a game defensively as they have in a while, against arguably the NBA’s best team. Unfortunately, the Lakers collapsed offensively, and against a high-pressure OKC squad that leads the league in forced turnovers... the Lakers were forced into a lot of turnovers.
Could Becoming a More Physical Team Help the Lakers Improve a Bad Defense? The Lakers were a pretty bad defensive team last season.This season, they’re pretty bad again. Which isn’t all that surprising when you consider it’s almost entirely the same roster as a year ago, and the major change (Dalton Knecht for Taurean Prince) probably makes them a little worse on that side of the ball.
