The Los Angeles Lakers clinched their spot in the knockout round of the Emirates NBA Cup with their 135-118 victory over the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday night. The star trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James carried the Lakers offensively with a combined 99 points, but it was the defense, particularly in the second half, that ensured the win.
After giving up 66 points on 57.1% shooting in the first half, the Lakers held the Clippers to just 46.2% from the field in the second half and just 25 points on 40% shooting in the fourth quarter in which they outscored their crosstown rivals by 12. And James feels it is that side of the court that will decide just how great the Lakers can be this season.
“Nah, you just said it: defensively,” LeBron said. “In order for us to be as great as we want to be, we’ve got to defend. We’ve got to get multiple stops in a row. We know what we can do offensively but defensively is going to be our staple and we showcased that in the fourth.”
The Lakers had their issues in the first half, especially as Clippers role players Kris Dunn, John Collins and Nicolas Batum didn’t miss a single 3-pointer. But LeBron believes it was important that the Lakers stuck to their gameplan.
“Just continued on our keys,” James added. “We understand that if a guy’s gonna make shots, it’s the NBA, we can’t get deterred on what our game plan is. We had a game plan going into the game, and we stuck to it for 48 minutes, and paid dividends for us.”
The Lakers have now won five straight games and are tied for the second best record in the West at 13-4. Many are wondering if this team can make a legit run to the NBA Finals and compete with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and while that is the ultimate goal, LeBron feels it’s too early to think about that.
“I know it’s too early,” James said. “Obviously, we gotta continue to work our habits, continue to build our habits. But getting to the Finals is talent. You have to have it, but you have to have some of the intangibles as well. You have a lot of grit, a lot of perseverance, and it’s hard every time you go out there, understanding the job at hand.
“So that is our aspiration, that’s our long-term goal. But right now, we gotta continue to build our days, and continue to not. We don’t wanna take any steps backwards, even if it’s in a loss. We don’t wanna take no steps backwards in the progress, in the process of what we wanna accomplish. So, we’re gonna get started right now.”
The Lakers certainly have their flaws, but they are proving that they are one of the best teams in the league and with James, Doncic and Reaves leading the way they have a chance against anybody on any given night.
Former Lakers star Anthony Davis could return to face his old team on Friday
The Lakers’ final group stage game for the Emirates NBA Cup will come on Friday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks. And Anthony Davis, the former Lakers star whom they traded for Luka Doncic, is eyeing a return from injury for that game.
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