The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off an incredible 27-point comeback to beat the Dallas Mavericks for the first time this season. Even though the Mavericks lead the season series 2-1, the Lakers’ new core showed they might be ready for a deep playoff run.
Jarred Vanderbilt was crucial to the Lakers’ success, having a monstrous defensive performance on Luka Doncic. Despite Luka scoring 14 points in the first quarter, Vanderbilt forced Doncic into a bad game for the next 3 quarters.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James are the 2 superstar talents on the Lakers and recognized Vanderbilt for his game-changing defensive performance on Doncic tonight.
AD & LeBron like the effort they are seeing from Vando and feel the chemistry building with the team. More of the postgame interview here! pic.twitter.com/01PsnUYhM3
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 27, 2023
Anthony Davis was full of praise for Vanderbilt, “Being down 27, 14 at half, and he comes out and sets the tone defensively on Luka, getting some steals, making him shoot tough shots, his rebounding on both ends. It started to affect our group to lock in defensively… His value for our team, you can’t even put into words what he does for us and brings to us.”
LeBron James had positive words for the newest big man on his team, “He knows where to be on every possession.”
Doncic is rarely clamped up in one-on-one matchups and has given hell to some of the best players in the NBA. However, Vanderbilt troubled Luka enough to not allow the Slovenian to control the tempo and pace of the game as he usually does.
Did The Russell Westbrook Trade Save The Lakers Season?
The Lakers getting the haul they did for Russell Westbrook proved to the world that the team always needed to just acquire depth instead of chasing a third star. They won their last game due to Malik Beasley’s shooting and have won this game due to Jarred Vanderbilt’s defense. Neither game would’ve ended up as a win if Russell Westbrook was the one on the floor.
Even though D’Angelo Russell is hurt right now, the versatility that the Lakers added in the trade is incredible. The results are already positive, with the team having gone 4-1 in the 5 games since the trade was made. With a switchable defensive specialist in Vando, an electric shooter in Beasley, and a combo guard like D’Lo, the Lakers might romp their way to the playoffs.
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