The Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for the right combination of players and rotations to turn things around and as of late, Christian Wood has been delivering. In the team’s victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Wood chipped in nine points, 10 rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
The win was a big one for the Lakers, who snapped a four-game losing streak. And when asked what the difference was in the Lakers coming out on top, Wood felt it was simply their energy.
“I think it was just the energy,” he said. “It felt like a playoff atmosphere tonight. Guys just brought it on the defensive end. We’ve had a few lapses but it was the energy. All the guys off the bench brought it, Bron and AD, they brought it, so we just came together.”
Any time the Lakers and Clippers face off, the energy inside the Crypto.com Arena is a little higher and the atmosphere is different. The Clippers are still trying to break the stranglehold the Lakers have on the city of Los Angeles and that is the basis of this rivalry at its core.
Wood grew up in Southern California, so he understands it and thus, considered the latest Lakers win a noteworthy one.
“Real significant,” Wood responded when asked how big it was for the Lakers to defeat the Clippers. “Especially beating the Clippers. Both teams definitely want to be the best team in L.A. We kind of get that feel. Like I said earlier, it felt like a playoff atmosphere tonight and we just got to bring it every single game.”
Not only was it significant to beat their rivals, but also just for the Lakers to get a win over a quality opponent after the struggles they have gone through recently. Getting back in the win column undoubtedly felt good, but Wood relayed the Lakers avoided too emotional of swings one way or the other.
“We didn’t get too high or didn’t get too low either,” Wood said. “Guys know this can be a step in the right direction, especially playing against the Clippers, who have four Hall of Famers. They’ve definitely been playing well, any one of those guys can have a great night on any given night.
“So to beat them off of how they’ve been playing is a step in the right direction for us.”
Snapping their losing streak was a positive step, but Wood and the Lakers know the key now is to string wins together and turn things around amid what’s been a rough stretch.
Christian Wood bought home for mother
Wood establishing himself in the NBA helped fulfill a promise made to his mother as he recently bought a house for her.
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