The Los Angeles Lakers looked to stay undefeated in the Las Vegas Summer League in the fourth game, taking on No. 4 overall pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bulls.
After a rough loss in their California Classic opener, the Lakers have come together well as a team to win five straight games, and they extended that streak to six with a 105-82 win over the Bulls. After dominating in Las Vegas with a 4-0 record, the Lakers will have the top overall seed going into the semifinals, which begin on Saturday. L.A. last won the Las Vegas Summer League championship in 2017.
As has been the case all summer, first-round draft pick Cameron Carr got the Lakers off to a nice start with a midrange jumper. L.A. led 10-6 going into the first timeout with Chris Mañon, William Hickey and Anton Watson all scoring in the paint.
Arthur Kaluma came off the bench and continued his impressive summer with a 3-pointer and assist. Both teams were locked in defensively in the first quarter though, where the Lakers led 19-16.
The intensity continued into the second quarter, although the scoring opened up as both teams were going back and forth. Carr and Adou Thiero shined during that period for L.A. while Wilson did for Chicago.
The Lakers slowly began to take control of the game towards the end of the second quarter, turning defense into offense for a 12-0 run, taking a 56-40 lead into the locker room. Things got a little chippy as the teams had to be separated while leaving the court.
It was all Lakers to kick off the second half as Thiero hit and 3-pointer while Carr had a three-point play and a dunk. Mañon took over from there as he continued to dominate on both ends, hitting a triple and then completing a three-point play of his own. After Jon Elmore beat the third quarter buzzer with a 3, the Lakers had a comfortable 83-54 lead.
With the Lakers up big, their starters got a chance to rest for most of the fourth quarter, giving the bench players more opportunities to show what they can do.
What’s next for the Lakers in Summer League
After advancing to the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs as one of the top four teams, the Lakers will have a semifinal matchup on Saturday with a chance to earn an opportunity to play for the title. They will be the top overall seed after going 4-0 in group play.
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