The sport has these things: for a franchise that has won 17 rings, the last one actually not that much (October 2020, which seems to have rained more than it has), getting into 50% wins should not be a new massive. But, here we are, it is. In fact, It’s the first time this season has happened, the first actually since January 25, 2022., when the team was 24-24 before finally falling off the cliff (33-49 final). In this it has cost, very much. And it has required a complete redo of the rotation that started the season. with five straight losses, he was 2-10 and 14-21 on December 28. Now after winning a match of implications monumental to the Thunder (116-111) it is 37-37. At last.
and is eighth, tied for seventh in the West. Take a game advantage to eleventhwho (now) would not get into play in (this changes every night). Which is the Dallas Mavericks, no less. The Thunder (36-28) are 10th, tied with the Mavs. But the Lakers have won the tiebreaker with this victory that leaves their season series at 2-1 for the Angels. So it’s a win of double value. In their best situation in a long time, the Lakers (for those who want to look up with hope and not down with anxiety) are a game and a half from sixth place, the first to save the playoffs. AND, Ahem, only has two more losses than the fourth. Such is the West this season. An issue ugly. Queer.
Since all the new ones debuted after the market closed, when Rob Pelinka found a belated but good way to settle the divorce with Russell Westbrook, the Lakers are 12-6. It’s a good figure that jumps to excellent when you consider that LeBron James has only played three of those games. Without him, it’s a very good 9-6. Tomorrow marks one month of his injury with good news about his return, a priori in time for, at least, the play in. D’Angelo Russell has only played eleven and has already missed seven. Average in which he has been more than 18 points and 6 assists with almost 40% in triples. So he is also a significant casualty, even if he is not LeBron. In fact, a hip problem that arose yesterday suddenly left the point guard out of this final against the Thunder. That put things uphill before starting. So it has been all and all year. Or that feeling gives.
Anthony Davis, Schröder… and Lonnie Walker
But the Lakers won. They played very well for a while, poorly for another, and with energy and conviction at the end. Cohesive. The Thunder were in back to back, but they had a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who had not participated in a two-game two-night shootout since February 8. So it made the above exception also against the Lakers. In a wonderful season in which they are laying foundations and a little more towards what seems like a good future, Those from OKC earned a life that they did not seem to have in the first third of the game. They lost the first quarter (in which they were at -17) 41-25 but came to tie in the decisive section (the last equality, 105-105 at 4:15 from the end). In that crucial moment they had less strength and fewer solutions than the Lakers. Despite the fact that Lu Dort recovered the aim that he had not had the night before (15 points, 5/8 in triples) and the exceptional game of Josh Giddey: 27 points, 17 rebounds, 7 assists. Rookie Jalen Williams, a player with excellent shots, was not at his best level. And neither is Shai, because his best level is from almost wannabe to the MVP. He scored 27 points and dished out 8 assists, but couldn’t manipulate the Lakers’ defense with his usual precision.
because the lakers post deadline are, above all, a good defensive team. Younger, deeper and larger. Without those lineups full of bases that only Darvin Ham seemed to like them and that they were so infuriating (Westbrook+Schröder+Beverley=¿?). Without LeBron or Russell, Anthony Davis emerged at the level that his team needed (37 points, 15 rebounds and direction of the game). shed defensive) and Schröder, he has done it more times, emerged as a heroic alternative in attack: 21 and 6 assists with six very important points in the final stretch. With a lot of work from Vanderbilt and a less spectacular but intelligent Reaves (11+6 rebounds and 9 assists), the other great appearance was Lonnie Walker IV, who had many minutes and responded with 20 points and 4 triples, the last to break that tie at 105 that seemed so dangerous.
The Lakers haven’t done anything yet, but in a way they’ve done a lot. They have been given the opportunity to be there, have bought time while he recovers from his injury LeBron James. We’ll see how things end, but the last few days have shown that they are a team determined to do not stop, in getting as far as he wants to be able to, which is not easy to know in this West. After some horrible defeats (Houston’s, Kleber’s three-pointer at the last second…), they have drawn another life in the last three games. One more because it seems that, in part because your Conference has good leads, they never run out. And that is something that is usually very valuable. whathow much exactly? We’ll see.