The Los Angeles Lakers finished their trip to Palm Springs this past weekend after they had their second preseason game, this time against the Phoenix Suns.
This game was much more interesting because it marked the first contest LeBron James and Anthony Davis suited up for, giving the fans a look at how head coach JJ Redick envisions his starting five playing. As is the case every year, James and Davis played minimal minutes and against the Suns only saw the floor in the first half. However, it didn’t take long for the two stars to assert themselves on both ends of the court as they made several plays to give the Lakers a halftime lead.
Despite the superstars’ strong first half, the Lakers would go on to lose to the Suns 118-114 and remain winless in preseason.
While James and Davis dominated the competition, the most notable scene from the night was when Bronny James entered in the game early in the second quarter. It marked the first time LeBron and Bronny shared the floor together on an NBA floor, making history much to the excitement of their teammates and the crowd.
After the moment passed, James and Davis were able to get whatever they wanted on offense to keep Los Angeles ahead. James eventually finished the night with 19 points, five rebound, four assists and two blocks while Davis wasn’t far behind him with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal.
D’Angelo Russell had a more efficient night compared to the previous game as he was in better positions to score playing alongside James and Davis. Russell had it going from every area of the floor, but more importantly it was good to see him shoot the basketball with so much confidence.
Russell ended the night with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go along with four assists and two rebounds.
Rui Hachimura looked much better in a reduced offensive role where he could be a finisher more than a creator. Hachimura feasted on the easy looks the Suns defense gave him, scoring 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. He also crashed the boards, grabbing eight rebounds in just 22 minutes of action.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers will get a few days off before the hit the road again to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. They’ll then get a little break before they’re back in action next Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors.
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