The Los Angeles Lakers ended their four-game losing streak on Saturday night, with a comfortable 129-120 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The win improved the Lakers to 16-14 on the season and their fans are delighted.
One was delighted with LeBron James’ performance.
LONG LIVE THE KING pic.twitter.com/zzGps3KM12
— 👑🐐 (@LukaToBron) December 24, 2023
A fan has LeBron as his MVP.
LEGOAT FOR MVP
— ❌ (@Sleep03145136) December 24, 2023
One believes this game was a step in the right direction.
On to the next one, step in the right direction
— Shawn (@BeSmoothShawn) December 24, 2023
Point guard LeBron is the GOAT, one fan said.
https://twitter.com/Jaames33/status/1738763141323096300
A fan says this is the real Lakers team they know.
THAT'S THE LAKERS TEAM WE KNOW!! Keep it up the momentum throughout the season. pic.twitter.com/psYHTOm93n
— Melvin Chiang (@melvin_chiang) December 24, 2023
LeBron James was simply outstanding in this one on his return, finishing with 40 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 13-20 from the field and was a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc.
Anthony Davis, meanwhile had 26 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Rui Hachimura also had a good outing off the bench, with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
This was a rather close game for about a quarter and a half before the Lakers took over. They were up 71-59 at halftime and then managed to keep the Thunder at arm’s length the rest of the way. The home team was, once again, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who had 34 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals, but he was powerless from stopping OKC dropping to 18-9 on the season.
The Lineup Change Worked For The Lakers Here
It is just one game, but the lineup change certainly worked for the Lakers. Prior to the contest, it was announced that the Lakers have a new starting lineup, with Darvin Ham benching D’Angelo Russell.
The new starting five were LeBron James, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Anthony Davis. While fans had been asking for Russell to be benched, this new lineup certainly raised some eyebrows. The biggest question mark was regarding the spacing, as none of those five are great shooters.
The likes of Vanderbilt and Reddish did not shoot well from three, but LeBron and the bench made up for it. Their play ensured the offense wasn’t an issue, as the Lakers shot 52.2% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc. As for Russell, he had a solid showing with 15 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists.
D’Angelo Russell’s Days As A Laker Seem Numbered
Whenever we see some starting lineup changes, there are occasions when the player still ends up getting big minutes. That was the case for Austin Reaves, as he hasn’t really seen a big change in his playing time since he has been coming off the bench. In this game, for example, he played 28 minutes and finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Russell, meanwhile, played only 17 minutes, with only Jaxson Hayes (6 minutes) playing fewer minutes than he did. It seems rather clear now, that his days as a Laker are numbered. Russell became eligible to be traded on December 15 and it appears to be a matter of time before the Lakers ship him out of town.
One of the more likely destinations for him would be the Chicago Bulls. As per reports, the Lakers will consider a Zach LaVine trade if Russell goes to the Bulls.
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