Game Debrief: What Went Right And What Went Wrong?

Thought this might be a trap game, but not really even close: Lakers win their 7th straight, 136-115 over the Pels. One more game at the Crypt before a long really rough slog of roadtrip.

Lakers only lost one quarter, the 2nd (by 3 points), and took an 18 point lead into the 4th. Everyone got mins, incl. Len and Bronny. Except Cam Reddish, who...ya gotta wonder what his future is. I really like Cam's D, but when he got mins earlier this year was inconsistent and didn't show the offensive skills some of thought he had. I wonder what his future is. No one talks about him, the Lakers are on an epic roll and he just sits and doesn't even get into the game.

This game was played loosey-goosey relaxed at times, which is why we gave up 115, 13-14 over our ordinary D. We got 136 and it was largely garbage in the 4th. Pels cut it to 8 with a Trey Murphy w/7:37 left in the 3rd, but 2 mins later we're back up 15. The Lakers were really careless on the perimeter and had a lot of passes picked off, pockets picked, turnovers in the first half: a lot of lazy and careless play, as if they were playing down to the Pels, who would make them pay. But one of their scorers, CJ, was bothered by our D and in 25 mins had 10 points and was 1-5 from deep. The other scorer, Zion, was a different story. Monster game: 37/4/6 on 17 for 23 shooting, and he put Jemison III on a poster. Too bad Zion hasn't stayed healthy for them.

Pels were 9 for 34 from deep. Yikes. A lot of that was our D.

Hookah and Bron: 11 for 23 from deep.

Luka was 30/8/15 in 34 mins (+37) and it feels like we're set for a long time in Lakerland with him. Great muthuh of all things Hoops! His shot looks great. His passing is immaculate, at times transcendent.

We are now 19-4 over our last 23. But now the test begins: Knicks, then in BOS/BROOK/MIL/DEN. A test! We need AR and Rui.

Favorite play of the game: Vando gets the board on a Laker missed FT, dishes to Luka at the top of the arc for a 3.
Another: Luka blocks a Pel by the sideline, and throws it off his head for Laker ball.
There were others...

I forget where I heard it recently. Some sports talk going on the background and the Lakers come up. Someone asks, "Are they peaking too early?" I thought holy crap I never would've thought that Q would come up when, say, Trey and the Hawks beat us in OT in ATL on Dec 6th for our 3rd straight loss to fall to 12-11 on the season. I remember thinking then, This is another play-in team. We'll be lucky to get out of the 1st round again.

We're 18 games over .500 right now.

 

Is that all??? Feels like 40

 

Cam for sure will be the first player waived for the first 2-way conversion to his roster spot.

 

Looking that way

 

JJ actually put Lebron on Zion when he was super hot but the Lakers were up 20 in the 4th

I was pissed as I wanted JJ to sit Lebron not try switch assignments like it was a playin game lol.

Game was easy because Luka was super hot and Lebron was Lebron. Still need AR and Rui back: offense was rough at times despite the blowouts as the team is dependent on those two being otherworldly that if they miss shots you can give up big runs

 

When Zion is healthy, he's a beast.

His stats and %'s are insane for his limited minutes. But he can't stay healthy.

 

maybe we land him after Bron retires, and we call them the Buffet Boys or something like that. (Zion and Luka)

 

Lukazion: A new restaurant experience. Fried Southern Foods mixed with Eastern European Cuisine.

 

oh yes, that one is called

Hookas and Hookers

I hear Zion has a type.

 

I am not in love with Zion's game. He doesn't even seem to have an outside game and I don't see him developing one in my lifetime. As he gets older and people scheme to stop him, there will be a couple of big guys who can give him troubles, then what?? Lebron developing his outside game, has made him unstoppable at 40!! Zion will never be that guy. Luka just needs proper conditioning and he is already that guy. Would love to find another guy like them. Who wouldn't.

 

Really no right to win this game

AR looked he hadn't played for a month. Argh that was the worst Ive seen him play all year

Didn't like JJ coaching in this one
Defense was trash on Brunson (was Godwin not available?)
DFS was awful on offense
First time a team size seemed to impact the Lakers with all the boards going to the Knicks
Not sure why they didn't try to get Brunson involved instead of just picking up on KAT.(Tire Brunson out by making him play defense man)
All the loose balls seemed to go to the Knicks
No Lebron setting the picks for Doncic

But it basically just doesn't matter when you have LeDon. Feel like when the Warriors had Durant and Steph the talent just wins out

 

24 grit is why we are winning it all.

 

Yeah.... that was a loss. Shouldnt have won it. Possibly wouldn't if Flopson didn't hurt himself trying to hunt a foul (successfully, I might add).

JJ got outcoached, I thought, for the first 2.5q. Better after that.

 

Cardiac game—-Defense was great, the bad is that we went to OT unnecessarily I feel, I bet the Knicks would have taken the loss gladly in regulation, since they lost Hardenson for the season

 

This is a game where Rui would have shined and made a huge difference, though.

He's a matchup nightmare for teams like the Knicks who might have versatile wings but Rui can transition from the 3-4 and cause some problems.

Lakers didn't have that in their tools today.

Knicks are a good team so not exactly a bad performance by the Lakers. I felt the Knicks had a lot more to prove this game than the Lakers so they showed up with more urgency.

 

Just a Normal AR game from this year and this would have been a blowout. Instead he was a big negative today. Bizarro AR

Also I agree Rui would have helped (more 3 pt shooting and size) and did Godwin not play because of the ankle. Would have liked to see him against Brunson

 

I concur with everything you said. Would just like to add how badly we shot from 3. At one point it was like 4/30, DFS, Lebron and Reaves had missed all their attempts and I think Knecht and Luka had 2 each.

It’s tough to win when everyone is playing poorly. But got to give credit to the Knicks they have the personnel to trouble Luka, LeBron and Reaves with Hart, Bridges and OG as their wings who are all good defenders. Then they got Robinson who’s a good defender too. But over a 7 game series, good offense will best out stellar defence every time.

Shout out to Gabe, he’s the main reason we won tonight. His threes got us over the hump and took the lead. After that it’s going to be tough to out execute LeBron and Luka to finish a game.

 

Great undeserving win. First game during this winning streak we really had to dig ourselves out of the ditch and win a game that had all the feels of a playoff game. A team can grow a lot from a tough win like this. Each of the supporting cast had a moment, but nearly all of them were terrible tonight. Gabe came through at the end.

Asking for a friend, did the refs know that no one tuned in tonight to watch them? Thought they called a lousy game.

I don't like the degree of foul hunting Brunson relies on, but he's their entire offense. Had a hell of a game. Hope he's OK (Shaq is probably right: out 2 weeks)