With Anthony Davis sitting out, the Los Angeles Lakers needed everyone to step up against the Golden State Warriors and they did so in abundance.
Every Lakers player to step on the floor scored at least six points as the Lakers cruised to a 120-94 win over the Warriors. LeBron James led the way with 23 points and 12 assists while JaVale McGee had his best game of the 2019-20 NBA season with 18 points and 17 rebounds.
Things were never really in doubt as the Lakers raced out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back, scoring 38 points in the opening period. Though the shorthanded Warriors remained feisty throughout the night, they were never able to seriously threaten the Lakers.
With Davis out, Kyle Kuzma stepped in for his first start of the season and continued his return to form as he shot 7-of-12 from the field en route to 22 points. The Lakers also got 15 points and eight rebounds from Dwight Howard as well as 10 points from Quinn Cook.
D’Angelo Russell led the way for the defending Western Conference champions with 21 points and eight assists while Eric Paschall added 15 points off the Warriors bench.
As was the case when these two teams met in the 2019 NBA preseason, the team’s size was simply too much for the Warriors. Los Angeles outrebounded Golden State 51-33 including 13 offensive rebounds and their ball movement continued to impress as they tallied 31 assists on their 48 made baskets. Their defense also returned to form as they held the Warriors to just 40.4 percent shooting from the field and 25.7 percent from three-point range.
A couple of other encouraging signs for the Lakers came in the form of their shooting as they hit 45 percent from deep while also knocking down 15 of their 18 free throws one night after an abysmal performance from the line.
The contributions truly came from everyone on this night. Jared Dudley, forced into early action due to a Kuzma bloody nose, responded with a pair of three-pointers while Alex Caruso continued his solid play with eight points and six rebounds. Avery Bradley, Danny Green, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each added six points as well.
Next up for the Lakers, an old friend returns to Staples Center as Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton brings his young team into town who have won four of their last five games after a rough start to the season.