After an entertaining game against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas, LeBron James said his only goal and focus for the Los Angeles Lakers in their preseason finale was remaining healthy. Come Friday, James was among the several regulars who were ruled out for the rematch.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, James and Rajon Rondo were all held out. Either because of precaution or due to a minor injury. That pressed Kyle Kuzma into the starting lineup, and he made the most of the opportunity.
Kuzma scored 19 points on 6-for-13 shooting, and also knocked down all six free throw attempts to help spearhead the Lakers’ comeback win. He was assisted by Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who had a game-high 22 points off the bench.
The Lakers’ reserves were also buoyed by Travis Wear knocking down all three of his 3-pointers en route to 13 points.
Los Angeles mounted their comeback in the second half when the Warriors no longer had Stephen Curry, as he sat out due to illness. Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala were both held out the entire night for rest.
The Lakers concluded their six-game preseason slate with a .500 record and now have a few days to prepare for tipping off the regular season on the road in a matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers.
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