The Los Angeles Lakers put up a valiant effort in their California Classic opener against the Golden State Warriors, but dropped the game after a lackluster second half. Following the loss, the Lakers turned right away to take on the Miami Heat in their second of three games in the Bay Area.
Miami beat the San Antonio Spurs in their opener, but Los Angeles got the best of them this time for their first win of the summer.
While Eric Dixon remained out of the lineup, Bronny James got the nod to start and he didn’t look rusty as he kicked game off by coming up with a steal and slam that got the crowd excited. James looked far more confident and comfortable on the floor compared to last summer, staying active defensively while picking his spots offensively.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing to see from James was his willingness to let it fly from beyond the arc as five of his seven shot attempts came from there. James is currently on a minutes restriction for conditioning reasons but still managed to record 10 points and two rebounds in just 10 minutes of action, all in the first half.
Darius Bazley has been a bright spot for the Lakers during the first two games of the California Classic, proving some much-needed defensive activity in the front court. While Bazley is pretty limited offensively, he leverages his size and mobility well when switching on to players and defending the rim
Bazley had a strong two-way performance against Miami as he consistently deterred shots at the rim and played solid defense in isolation situations. Offensively, he was limited mostly to free throws and shots at the rim but that was to be expected.
Overall, Bazley had a huge hand in the win as he finished the day with a near double-double of 16 points and nine rebounds to go along with three blocks.
Like Bazley, Cole Swider had another great game as he led the team in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. Swider didn’t get as much air space from distance, but he still did a solid job using his size and ability to shoot off the move to score.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will finish up their California Classic slate on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs. They’ll then hit the road for Nevada where they’ll open 2025 Las Vegas Summer League against No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.
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