A six-game road trip is daunting for any team, but the Los Angeles Lakers made the most of it by going 3-3 and helping themselves in the playoff race.
The Lakers got off to a great start to their East Coast swing with a statement win over the Milwaukee Bucks followed by another good win against the Washington Wizards. However, they endured a three-game skid due to injuries and illness that dampened the momentum.
Los Angeles was able to get right on the final leg of the trip with a win over the Detroit Pistons, largely thanks to LeBron James and Anthony Davis who scored a combined 69 points. In his walk-off interview, James noted it was big for the team to come away with a victory heading back home to Los Angeles, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“It’s huge. Like you said, we started off the trip so well and then we had some injuries, we had some illness and kind of threw our rhythm off. But we had everyone back in the lineup tonight and we were able to finish the trip off .500 and now we’re going back home.”
James and Davis along with some other rotation players were forced to miss time, but it goes to show that the Lakers can string wins together when everyone is available. Good health has alluded Los Angeles the past few seasons, though at least this year they have had their stars available for the better part of the 2022-23 season.
At 11-15, the Lakers currently sit 12th in the Western Conference though they are only three games back of the sixth seed. The parity in the Western Conference has given several teams including L.A. the belief that they can reasonably compete in the playoffs so any wins the Purple and Gold can get are welcomed.
For now, though, the team should enjoy being back home from an 11-day trip and get themselves ready for a tough slate of games coming up.
Lakers discussing Bojan Bogdanovic trade
In the win against the Pistons, the Lakers got a good look at Bojan Bogdanovic who lit them up for 38 points. Bogdanovic is a popular trade target for teams given his shooting and scoring ability, so it’s no surprise to hear Los Angeles has been in touch with Detroit on his availabilty.
However, the Pistons appear reluctant to part ways with the veteran so the Lakers may need to look elsewhere to upgrade the roster.
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