It was another late night in the Crypto.com arena as LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers battled it out against the young and hungry Portland Trail Blazers. With both teams coming in with a loss, they were seeking to turn things around against one of their division rivals.
Despite the absence of Antony Davis, the Lakers managed to pull off the win in a rather convincing fashion. A hot start from the Blazers gave them a narrow four-point lead after the first quarter but it didn’t last for long as the Lakers slowly but surely took control of the game. By halftime, the Lakers had already built a sizeable gap and they used it to cruise to the 8-point win.
For the winning team, LeBron James was the leading scorer with 38 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds on 15-25 shooting. Starting guard Max Christie dropped 28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 31 minutes. Austin Reaves contributed 15 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds on 5-15 shooting.
Meanwhile, for the Blazers, Anfernee Simons gave everything he had with 23 points (8-17 FG), 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in 37 minutes. Shaedon Sharpe was second in scoring with 19 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 1 assist on 6-16 shooting. Off the bench, Scoot Henderson totaled 12 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds on 4-7 shooting.
These two teams couldn’t be on more opposite ends of the spectrum right now. While the Trail Blazers are still in rebuild mode, the Lakers are in full win-now mode ready to help LeBron compete for one last championship. Without Davis, it’ll be impossible for them to get far but if they can do more of what they did tonight it might just be enough to keep them alive until his return.
Strong Shooting For LeBron James
Even at 40 years old, LeBron James is playing basketball at an elite level and it’s got the Lakers thriving in the West. While his athleticism has faded, James has adapted his game and grown his skills as a shooter, playmaker, and ball handler.Â
Three-point shooting has been a point of focus for James, and he’s been making steady climbs in that category throughout his career. Tonight, his shot-making led the way for the Lakers with 38 points on 7-10 shooting from three.Â
As a team, the Lakers went 15-43 from beyond the arc, meaning that LeBron alone accounted for nearly half of the Lakers’ makes from range. No matter how you feel about LeBron James, his shooting carried the Lakers to a smooth victory and this season as a whole has been another masterpiece for him with averages of 23.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game on 49.7% shooting.
The Rise Of Max ChristieÂ
The Lakers have been on the hunt for years for some additional firepower but it turns out that what they needed was right under their noses the whole time. Since joining the starting lineup, young guard Max Christie has elevated his game for the Lakers and he’s become a key part of JJ Redick’s rotation.
Tonight, in 31 minutes on the floor, Christie finished with 28 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists on 9-16 shooting. He went 5-9 from three and was +6 in the game thanks to a balanced effort on both ends of the floor.
At 21 years old, expectations were low for Christie heading into his third NBA season. But with a string of great games, some fans are starting to wonder if he’s one of the cornerstones of their future. At the very least, Christie is good for providing a spark and taking some of the scoring pressure away from LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Elite Ball Movement
The Lakers totaled 30 assists against the Trail Blazers, leading to better looks and a balanced scoring effort all-around. While LeBron James and Max Christie scored most of the points, many players got involved in other ways, like Austin Reaves who tallied 11 assists in 36 minutes.
Since JJ Redick has taken over head coaching duties, he’s been making it a point to get his team to move the basketball and pass multiple times in one possession. This ensures that the Lakers are getting clean looks consistently and setting up their shooters like Dalton Knecht and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Over time, as the Lakers’ new arrivals get acclimated to the team, their chemistry will be even better and it will likely only enhance the ball movement we see on the floor.
At 18-14 so far, the Lakers are feeling good about where they stand and there is a genuine belief that they can challenge some of the league’s top-tier contenders. To get this win without Anthony Davis tonight is arguably the strongest case yet for the Lakers as a threat to the title this season.
After the win over Portland, the Lakers will defend their home court (Crypto.com arena) against the Atlanta Hawks at 10:30 PM EST. On Sunday, January 5th, the Lakers will travel to Toyota Center to face the Houston Rockets at 7:00 PM EST before a showdown against the Dallas Mavericks on January 7th at 7:30 PM EST.
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