The Los Angeles Lakers narrowly defeated the Miami Heat in overtime, 120-117. Despite a very close finish, they managed to hold out for their 7th win of the season, putting their record at a respectable 7-5. There’s no question that the Lakers had fans at the edge of their seats though, and the game was tense throughout.
A lot of Lakers fans were ready to celebrate the win against the Miami Heat, who they faced in the 2020 NBA Finals. However, many fans commented on the close nature of the game, with one fan telling the team to “lower my blood pressure”. There’s no question that fans are happy that the Los Angeles Lakers are figuring things out though, and we’ll see if the Lakers can get a winning streak going.
Shorthanded. Overtime. #LakersWin. pic.twitter.com/EygUowHVTw
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 11, 2021
While the Los Angeles Lakers are certainly looking less shaky than when they started the season, there’s a long way to go until they are the team they aspire to be. The Los Angeles Lakers have a good deal of talent on the roster, but none of that matters if the team doesn’t gel and work together. The Lakers’ depth did show tonight, and in particular, we saw a great game from Malik Monk, who gave the team a shot creator and spark plug coming off the bench.
Russell Westbrook in particular has bounced back after a slow start, putting up a triple-double with 25 points and 14 assists against the Heat. It makes sense that Westbrook would do better as time went on and he figured out his fit with the Lakers. Russell Westbrook has previously claimed that the Lakers’ slow start was all part of the “process”, and it seems as though he is beginning to find his way. When LeBron James comes back to this roster they will become even better, and beating a great playoff team without LeBron James must be encouraging.
