The Los Angeles Lakers may not be the favorites to win the West this year but after a 10-4 start, there is rising confidence in their chances to make a run. In their latest win against the Jazz (124-118), the Lakers put on arguably their most complete game of the season as a team, dominating on both ends of the floor against a far inferior opponent.
From start to finish, the Lakers handled business tonight. It began in the first quarter when the Lakers shot 58.3% from the field to take an early 12-point lead (34-22). Thanks to a well-balanced effort from the Lakers, they managed to keep their lead at halftime despite the Jazz getting more shot attempts and free throws.
The second half was more of the same for the Lakers, except Dalton Knecht took over to give his teammates a night off. Dalton scored 21 in the third quarter alone to give the Lakers a 97-75 lead at the end of the third. From there, the Lakers were able to coast through the final quarter and rest some of their starters for the next fight ahead.
The Lakers had several players hit double figures in this one, but Dalton Knecht led the team in scoring with a career-high 37 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal on 75% shooting from the field. LeBron James finished with 26 points, 12 assists, and 2 rebounds on 52.9% shooting while his co-star Anthony Davis continued his hot streak with a final stat line of 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists on 66.7% shooting. D’Angelo Russell, meanwhile, dropped 8 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds off the bench.
Meanwhile, for the Jazz, most of their scorers had trouble keeping up with the Lakers’ defense but some did manage to turn in good performances. Lauri Markkanen finished with 25 points (9-16 FG) and 8 rebounds while Collin Sexton delivered 19 points and 4 assists on 50% shooting. Jordan Clarkson gave them life off the bench with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.
These two teams are on opposite ends of the standings and it showed tonight with their play on the court. While the Jazz looked outmatched, under-talented, and disorganized, the Lakers are playing like a well-oiled machine on the court thanks to several factors that we saw at play against the Jazz.
Ball Movement Unlocks The Offense
A common theme for the Lakers has been consistent ball movement and team-oriented plays on offense. Tonight, they continued that trend with exceptional passing and unselfish decision-making with the basketball.
As a team, the Lakers totaled 30 assists tonight which allowed them to get better shots and score at a highly efficient pace. The Lakers shot 55.3% as a team and 45.2% from three, thanks to an offensive system from JJ Redick which every player has bought into.
If the Lakers want to re-take their place atop the West and sustain this dominance for any length of time, they’ll need to stay focused on moving the ball and finding the best looks for their shooters.
Maximum Defensive Intensity In The First 36 Minutes
The Lakers’ defensive strength was on full display tonight, led by Anthony Davis — who is an early frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. The Lakers totaled 5 blocks and 9 steals in the game and kept the Jazz on lockdown until the closing minutes of the game when the Jazz got hot and won the quarter by 16 points.
While the Lakers are relatively thin in the backcourt defensively, they make up for it with their size and athleticism in the frontcourt. Between LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Cam Reddish, the Lakers are experts at contesting shots and it’s the only path to achieving playoff success this season.
If the Lakers can revert to their defensive standards from 2020, it could put them in play to compete with the likes of the Warriors, Thunder, and Nuggets in the West. We saw a glimpse of what they could do in tonight’s game but they’ll need to be even better against the top teams in the league.
Red-Hot Shooting From The Starting Backcourt
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the stars of the Lakers, but rookie Dalton Knecht may be the x-factor behind their early success. He’s been on fire this season, as evidenced by his place in the starting lineup just 10 games into the season.
Tonight, Dalton had his best game yet as a Laker with 37 points and 5 rebounds on 9-12 shooting from three. He was huge for the Lakers with his shot-making and ability to stretch the floor as a knockdown shooter. For the season, he’s averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game on 48.4% shooting.
Austin Reaves had a great game at point guard, putting up 17 points and 5 assists on 3-7 shooting from three. Together, he and Knecht made the Lakers starting backcourt a formidable duo and not even a late four-quarter run could help the Jazz keep up.
For a team with such low expectations this year, the Lakers have been one of the more surprising teams in the NBA. They’ve been one of the best teams on both ends of the floor and they are in play for the top seed in the West at 10-4.
Of course, with so much of the season left to play, the Lakers can’t afford to lose focus now. They must see this through until the very end and they will not stop to celebrate until the mission is complete.
Up next, the Lakers face the Orlando Magic on Thursday, November 21st, at 10:20 PM EST at Crypto.com arena. Two days later, the Lakers will defend homecourt against the Denver Nuggets at 10:30 PM EST before completing a showdown against the Suns on November 26th at Footprint Center.
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