Tonight’s key Western Conference game between the Kings and Lakers was attended by both teams, yet neither fell short. The Lakers went into overtime despite trailing by 11 points at halftime. They battled to stay in the game. Unfortunately, they couldn’t control the game, as the Kings won 2-1 overall because of their awful shooting.
The action, which featured clutch buckets from players like Malik Monk and LeBron James, delighted the crowd.
One fan attacked the Lakers roster, taking aim at nearly every facet of their design.
Given how awful D’Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent have been, more supporters believe James Harden is the Lakers’ answer.
The Lakers would go through phases where they would try a three-point shot, miss it, get the offensive rebound, and try again. The shoddy shooting left the fans furious.
LeBron James, a forward for the Lakers, had a minute restriction, but it had vanished in recent games, raising concerns about his playing time.
Malik Monk, who the Lakers had only a couple seasons prior, had to shut out the crowd.
The Kings role players eventually shut out the Lakers, with LeBron and Anthony Davis out due to De’Aaron Fox’s hurt ankle and Domantas Sabonis’ foul.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with a score of thirty points, sixteen rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. But as the game progressed, his aggression decreased, which posed a challenge for the Lakers’ three-point shooting offense in the closing minutes of the contest. LeBron James finished the game with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists after overcoming a poor start to make the layup that forced the Lakers into overtime. With 20 points, Taurean Prince also had a great performance.
De’Aaron Fox, who played for the Kings, was the best player of the night, scoring 37 points and dishing out eight assists. Even though he returned and played as much as he could, he could have accomplished more if it weren’t for a late-game injury. Malik Monk was the Kings’ main scorer in overtime, scoring 22 points off the bench to seal the victory.
Do the Lakers have a Problem?
The Lakers have only played against teams that are anticipated to make the playoffs this year through their first three games. Many rankings have the Nuggets, Suns, and Kings as the three best teams in the West; hence, their 1-2 start to the season is against elite competition.
Every game has been close, but the Lakers’ worst error—load-managing LeBron James—kept them from even coming close to winning in their opening-night loss to the Nuggets. They didn’t load-manage LeBron against the Suns as a result, allowing him to step up in the clutch to win them the game.
Similar to this, he helped the Lakers cut an 11-point advantage over the Kings by making the game-tying basket that forced overtime. James played 39 minutes in overtime, and the Lakers will play again tomorrow.
Given their recent rigorous schedules, it will be fascinating to see if James and Davis are refreshed when they play the Orlando Magic tomorrow. The Lakers must not undervalue their opponent given that they are now 1-2 and that the young Magic club is to town. A 1-3 start would officially start to worry fans, as it would seem unlikely that the Lakers would win the championship.