A Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysis
UPDATE: LeBron James will play for the Lakers in their contest against the Bulls. He missed the last three games due to his right hip contusion and left foot arthritis. With LeBron back, LA’s big three can continue working on building their chemistry and remaining undefeated during their current homestand. Original story follows. UPDATE: While […]
Trailing by eight with under seven minutes remaining, the Lakers teetered on the edge of disaster against the lowly, but finally healthy, New Orleans Pelicans. Out of a timeout, head coach J.J. Redick chose to insert Jaxson Hayes. On the next defensive possession, Hayes absorbs Zion Williamson’s force on a drive, leading to a block […]
The Lakers are winning games against the best teams in the NBA thanks to their defensive effort. They recently beat the Knicks and held them to under 100 points. LA has done that only four times this season, and in every instance, they earned a win. Against the Wolves, it was the Lakers’ defense once […]
When the Lakers traded for Luke Kennard at the deadline, the majority of the team’s fanbase let out a collective shrug. No one debated that the 29-year-old journeyman would help address a clear need as arguably the most efficient 3-point shooter in the NBA since entering the league. But the tepid reaction stemmed not from […]
After an excellent victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers (40-25) look to make it four wins in a row as they host the Chicago Bulls (27-38) on Thursday. L.A. is looking to sweep the season series. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Mar 12 Where: Crypto.com Arena […]
The Lakers are finally figuring things out. After continual struggles against top teams, back-to-back wins against the Knicks and Timberwolves have not only eased worries, but created a lot of optimism about his team. While both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have been integral in the wins, a host of role players have stepped up […]
To the shock of absolutely nobody, the discourse surrounding Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game immediately reached a fever pitch basically before the game went final. The ending of the Heat-Wizard contest, specifically, has drawn the most criticism as the game devolved into something not too closely resembling basketball. Miami, aware that Bam was closing in on […]
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers had plenty of excuses ready if they lost to the Wolves. Minnesota entered the night as the third-best team in the West. The Lakers entered the night without their All-Star LeBron James for the third straight game as well as bigs Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber. But they still had […]
A week ago, the biggest question surrounding the Lakers was whether they were a serious team capable of beating good opponents. Fast forward a week and the answer is much clearer. Two games do not define a team, but the Lakers beating the Knicks and Timberwolves in back-to-back contests at this time in the season […]
After an ice-cold start to the game, the Lakers roared back to win their third straight game, knocking off the Wolves, 120-106. The win gives the Lakers a season sweep of Minnesota. All three wins came without LeBron James, who missed Tuesday’s game with both a hip contusion and left foot arthritis. LA opened the […]
In one of the more shocking performances in a long time, Bam Adebayo passed Kobe Bryant for the second-most points all-time in a single game, pouring in 83 points for the Heat in their win over the Wizards on Tuesday. With the game well out of hand down the stretch, Bam took a number of […]
UPDATE: LeBron James will miss a third straight game as he was downgraded to out roughly two hours before tip on Tuesday. While LeBron initially injured his elbow against the Nuggets before his string of absences, a new right hip contusion has since developed. Pair that with a left foot injury that has plagued him […]
The Lakers had plans for Adou Thiero this season that involved potential rotation minutes. But as the saying goes, even the best laid plans can go to waste. Thiero carried his knee injury from the offseason into the start of the campaign this year, delaying the beginning of his rookie campaign. Another injury in the […]
With the Western Conference a tight-knit race yet again this season, this series will look at the standings and games to watch across the league as the Lakers look to secure home court and move up the standings. LA is now sitting at the No.5 spot in the West after beating the Pacers and Knicks […]
Luka Dončić may have avoided a technical against the Knicks on Sunday, but he did not avoid punishment. Teetering on the edge of an automatic one-game suspension if he receives one more technical, Luka has been a toned-down version of himself with regard to the refs over recent games. However, that doesn’t mean he’s been […]
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. When the Lakers traded for Luka Dončić, they made it clear that he was the future […]
The Lakers (39-25) look to keep their winning ways going against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves (40-24) on Tuesday. This is the final match between the two teams this season, as L.A. looks to sweep the regular season series. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves When: 8 p.m. PT, Mar 10 Where: Crypto.com […]
Being the starting center of the Lakers is always going to bring an inherent pressure with it. After embracing that pressure coming into the season, Deandre Ayton has faded into the background. With each subpar game, the focus on him intensifies. Recently, those games have come with more frequency for Ayton. Sunday, though, was a […]
If the Lakers were going to convince anyone they were serious, then wins against actually good teams were going to have to come. Prior to Sunday, the Lakers faltered time after time when given the opportunity to beat a contender, including very recently in Denver. In beating the Knicks, then, they not only put together […]
With just under five minutes left in the first half, the Lakers trail the Celtics by four points. Jake LaRavia has the ball on the left wing, but is clearly surveying Luka Dončić, who is attempting to shake free from a handsy Boston defense on the other side of the court. With the aid of […]
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. There are three things in this life that are certain: death, taxes and the Western Conference playoff race […]
While it wasn’t necessarily a direct indicator of potential playoff success, the Lakers’ inability to beat “good” teams was a growing concern and trend. Regardless of whatever metric or arbitrary line in the sand you wanted to draw, the Lakers were not beating the best teams in the league. As the postseason ticked closer and […]
LOS ANGELES — It’s hard to ever get a fanbase to all agree on something, but one thing about the Lakers everyone seems to acknowledge is their struggle to beat good teams. They are 15-19 against teams with more wins than losses and entering Sunday’s matinee against the Knicks, they had just four victories in […]
The Lakers picked up their biggest win of the season, leading wire-to-wire against the Knicks on Sunday afternoon to come away with a 110-97 victory. LA turned to its defense to get the win, holding the Knicks to 42.2% shooting from the field and 23.5% shooting from deep. LA also held its own in the […]
Much has been made about the need for the Lakers’ big three to build chemistry with one another. While that can sometimes be a blanket statement, the easiest evidence of their current problems has been the play of Austin Reaves. Luka Dončić certainly has still been able to produce at a high level. LeBron James […]