After going 1-4 on their road, the Los Angeles Lakers finally returned home to host a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team.
The Lakers struggled with their play on both ends of the floor, so it was a relief to see them take care of business against the 76ers. Los Angeles got back in the win column with a much-needed 116-106 victory over Philadelphia, improving their record to 5-4.
Head coach JJ Redick made a change to the starting lineup, benching D’Angelo Russell in favor of Cam Reddish. With Russell starting the game on the bench, it opened up more touches and shot opportunities for Austin Reaves, who made the most of them. Reaves was an offensive spark plug in the first half, routinely knocking down shots from deep to give the Lakers a solid lead.
While he cooled off in the second half, Reaves still played a role on the offensive end as a playmaker. Although Reaves fell one 3-pointer shy of his career high, he still shot 6-of-10 from deep en route to 20 points. He also added seven assists and six rebounds.
Anthony Davis returned to the lineup after missing the previous game against the Memphis Grizzlies and dominated the smaller 76ers front court who was missing Joel Embiid. Davis picked up where he left off, dominating the painted area and even hitting a couple of 3-pointers.
Davis led all scorers with 31 points and shot an efficient 11-of-20 from the field. He narrowly missed out on a double-double as he has nine rebounds, but he did well protecting the rim as he blocked four shots.
LeBron James, coming off a season-high 39 points against the Grizzlies, was able to assume more of a facilitator role against the 76ers as he was more than happy to dish the basketball to his teammates. James picked his spots offensively and ramped things up in the second half to help seal the win.
James was excellent in every area of the floor and recorded another triple-double with 21 points to go along with 13 assists and 12 rebounds.
As mentioned earlier, Russell came off the bench but responded well to the move as he had his best offensive game in a while. Russell was aggressive attacking the paint and led the bench in scoring with 18 points. He also had three assists and two rebounds.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers will continue their home stand with a rematch against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
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