Lakers News: Kyle Kuzma Credits DeMarcus Cousins’ Poster-Worthy Highlight Result Of Playing Defense, Points To Own Tip-Dunk

Matthew Moreno
3 Min Read
Noah Graham-NBAE via Getty Images

When the Los Angeles Lakers boarded their charter flight on Friday it was with the expectation LeBron James would be on the court for his second game since returning from a groin strain. The moment would provide an opportunity for revenge of sorts as they were set to play at Oracle Arena, where James was injured.

But he was a late scratch due to soreness, and the young Lakers were left to pick up the slack against the two-time defending champions. The Golden State Warriors jumped out to a 14-point lead, only to watch it evaporate.

The Lakers pulled ahead by 10 points in the third quarter, which didn’t hold in a 115-101 loss. While they used a run to take the lead, the Warriors responded with one of their own. Included in that was an emphatic dunk DeMarcus Cousins threw down on Kyle Kuzma in what was a three-point play.

“I thought I did (have a chance to get set in time),” Kuzma said of the sequence. “It’s going to happen. When you play defense, you get dunked on sometimes. I got a tip-dunk on him, too. That counts.”

While Kuzma’s offensive repertoire has gained him notoriety, the second-year forward has regularly drawn criticism on defense. Lakers head coach Luke Walton has been among Kuzma’s supporters, and delivered more praise for the effort he saw.

“I love it. I absolutely love it. Everyone in the NBA should get dunked on,” Walton said.

“If you’re really playing to win, as good as the athletes are in this league, when you’re rotating over, he knew he was late but he still sacrificed his body and tried to get in there for a stop. He didn’t get outside the restricted area but that’s the mentality and attitude we want.”

The Warriors went on to outscore the Lakers, 40-20, after Cousins’ dunk. “They found some juice,” Kuzma said. “They were looking at anybody just to find it. Credit to him, he made some plays, hit some shots and got rebounds.”

Reminder: Vivid Seats is the Official Ticket Reseller of LakersNation.com. New Customers use “LAKERSNATION” (all CAPS) in the Vivid Seats App on your phone and get 10% off any Lakers home game ticket order for the remainder of the season.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
Exit mobile version