After a few days off, the Los Angeles Lakers were back in action as they traveled to Las Vegas to take on the Golden State Warriors in their fourth preseason game.
Prior to the game, head coach JJ Redick said that he would use the first half to evaluate his nine-man rotation, and fans got a better look at who will likely see playing time early outside of the starting five.
However, even with the regulars playing closer to normal minutes the Lakers were blown out by the Warriors to drop down to 1-3 during preseason play.
Anthony Davis has historically owned the matchup against Golden State because of his size, length and skill with the basketball and that was on full display again. Davis was one of the few bright spots for Los Angeles as he picked up where he left off, scoring nearly at will while also anchoring the paint on the other end.
The Warriors tried a few different defenders on Davis but it didn’t matter as the Lakers big man either finished through or over them. What was even more encouraging was that Davis’ jumper was falling, a welcomed sight considering his struggles from the perimeter the past few seasons.
Davis played 26 minutes but stuffed the stat sheet, recording a double-double of 24 points, 12 rebounds while also adding two assists, one steal and one block.
Austin Reaves returned to the lineup after missing the last game with ankle soreness and looked great physically. Reaves didn’t seem limited in his movements and got off to a quick start scoring the basketball.
Reaves’ minutes were capped, but he still managed to record 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in just 17 minutes.
Like Reaves, Rui Hachimura got off to a fast start as he was aggressive looking for his shot. Hachimura didn’t have the most efficient night shooting the basketball, but he was active around the glass.
Hachinura finished the night with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting, but did pull down nine rebounds including two offensive rebounds.
Lastly, Dalton Knecht had a rough start to the game with his jumper but eventually found his groove in the second half. Knecht actually was the second-leading scorer behind Davis, dropping 19 points and draining five of his 13 3-point attempts.
What’s next for Lakers
Anthony Davis and the Lakers will get a day off before hitting the road to play the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. They’ll then close out the preseason with another matchup against Golden State on Friday.
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