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Submit ReviewWas it a perfect game? Not as much as a 136-124 score might indicate. At one point in the third quarter, the Lakers pushed their lead to 27, creating a potential opportunity for the starters to rest for basically the entire fourth quarter. Instead, Rui Hachimura had to continue his scintillating outside shooting, canning seven(!) threes on the way to 32 points and ten rebounds. LeBron James, in his return after sitting out the Milwaukee win while nursing his problematic ankle, played more minutes than preferable for his triple-double. D'Angelo Russell hit five threes of his own. Jaxson Hayes had 14 points and seven rebounds filling in for Anthony Davis, who got the night off after logging 52 minutes in the double OT win over the Bucks.
Again, would have been nice to maintain a 20-plus point cushion. But that's not the same thing as the game ever really being in jeopardy, which it wasn't. All in all, pretty uneventful when it comes to true suspense... in a good way.
Brian is still out of town, but Andy was joined by C.J. Toledano, Lakers fanatic and co-host of the new podcast, Point Game, co-hosted with former NBA star John Wall. They discussed the Lakers' winning ways of late, Hachimura's significance as a baller and an Asian athlete, the future of athlete-created content, and much more. Fun show!
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky... featuring special guest CJ Toledano (Point Game Podcast, Follow Through)
SEGMENT 1: The game was uneventful... and that's a good thing.
SEGMENT 2: The importance of Rui Hachimura, on and off the court.
SEGMENT 3: C.J. discusses his divided house during the IST, and the future of athlete-created content.
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Game of the season for the Lakers?
That's up for debate and personal taste, but there's no question Tuesday's 128-124 double overtime road win over the Milwaukee Bucks, short LeBron James no less, is on the short list of signature victories this season. What seemingly began as a blowout loss in the making gradually, steadily, and impressively shifted into an absolutely spectacular display of guts and will from, among others, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
AD, who played much of the game on a leg clearly bugging him, wrapped up the night with a monster 34/23/4 block line, including the erasure of a Damian Lillard floater to push the game into 2OT. Austin Reaves began the night shaky, but finished with a 29/14/10 triple-double, highlighted by a few jaw-droppingly deep threes in big moments. D'Lo had a rough night shooting overall, but hit a flurry of threes (five in all) during the second half to provide a big spark of belief, plus 12 dimes against just four turnovers. And Rui had a solid 16 points to go with a career-high fourteen rebounds, critical on a night when someone had to pick up LeBron's slack on the glass.
Throw in some big moments from Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, plus Darvin's decision to push for a win when sitting the starters ahead of tonight's game in Memphis would have been perfectly sensible, and you had all the makings of a victory that reminds fans that, when this team really wants it, they can be a very tough out.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky... featuring special guest Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88), Silver Screen and Roll, Swish Appeal
SEGMENT 1: What a win!!!!
SEGMENT 2: Anthony Davis was the man.
SEGMENT 3: Austin Reaves, you crazy genius!
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The Lakers kick off a six game road trip tonight in Milwaukee. Normally this sort of thing would be looked on with some bit of dread, especially given that the Lakers have been a horrible road team all season.
And certainly Monday's game against the Bucks will be a major challenge, especially in light of LeBron James being downgraded to doubtful ahead of the contest thanks to the same ankle that's kept him on the injury report all year. Hopefully he/the Lakers are just picking one day for LBJ to rest in the space of a back to back... but there's really know way to know until Wednesday when the Lakers arrive in Memphis. But as for this one, yes, the Lakers beat the Bucks recently, but Milwaukee has played better of late, and is unquestionably a contender in the East. This would be a losable game with or without James.
But hey, maybe the Lakers surprise shorthanded. Wouldn't be the first time, this season.
And moreover, once THIS game is done, the Lakers get some real opportunities. Wednesday vs. a terrible Memphis squad. Then an Indiana team they just beat, and the Nets, Raptors and Wizards. 4-2 is the bare minimum that is acceptable for a trip like this one.
And it's important, because the Phoenix Suns have a very difficult path ahead of them (made even more difficult when they lost to the freakin' Spurs on Monday, after this show was recorded). A solid late run to end the year from LA (think 9-2, 8-3) could be enough to move them to the 7 spot, because Phoenix plays 10 straight games against Western Conference playoff teams. But the Lakers have to do their part, and even then it still won't be easy.
Plus... more on Spencer Dinwiddie, and how his recent surge could impact the team going forward, including different lineup combinations. Why has Cam Reddish been finishing games over Rui Hachimura? And what, exactly, did scurvy do to the human body?
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: The Lakers will face Milwaukee (almost surely) without LeBron.
SEGMENT 2: Things are tightening a little around the Suns. Plus, a small defensive bright spot?
SEGMENT 3: Cam over Rui, more Reddish, more schedule.
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One figured this would be a high-scoring night, given how the Indiana Pacers have arguably the best offensive team in the NBA all season, the Lakers have morphed over the course of the year into a juggernaut in their own right, and neither team should brag about their defenses of late. Yes, the Lakers were without D'Angelo Russell, but still, there's plenty of firepower to go around in L.A. But even by those standards, this 150-145 Lakers win was an insane shootout.
Four Lakers with 25+ points. 26 for Spencer Dinwiddie, starting in D'Lo's spot and having the best game of his purple and gold tenure. (On the heels of what had been his best L.A. game Friday against the Sixers.) 36 points for Anthony Davis, who made 15 of 21 shots and pulled down 16 rebounds just for fun. Even the Lakers' typically barren bench, led by Taurean Prince's 14 points, was respectably prolific.
Of course, the Pacers got in on the act as well, with Pascal Siakam exploding for 27 second-half points (36 in all), Myles Turner chipping in 20 and the team going 50 percent from distance. Indiana also outscored the Lakers 46-34 in the fourth quarter, including a late flurry of threes to make things very tense down the stretch. (To say the Lakers' late fourth quarter pick-and-roll defense got scrambled would be a grand understatement.)
But in the end, the Lakers pulled off the victory, which combined with a Warriors loss, has them sitting at the nine seed 2.5 games ahead of Golden State, and 2.5 behind Dallas/Sacto. A challenging but still winnable road trip awaits, and it would be nice to see the Lakers really put away a quality opponent. But the bottom line is they're stacking wins of late, and at least giving themselves a shot at climbing the standings as the season reaches its end.
Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
Segment 1: How the Lakers scored 150... and gave up 145.Segment 2: Dinwiddie's role evolving?
Segment 3: Do the Lakers have a shot at moving up in the west?
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It was not exactly the sort of inspired, confidence building effort the Lakers probably hoped for, but in the end it was enough for LA to get what it needed—a win.
They beat the visiting, and badly slumping, Philadelphia 76ers 101-94 Friday night at the Crypt.
The game was tight throughout, until down the stretch when the Lakers pushed the pedal down a little harder than the Sixers could manage. There were some notable performances, starting with Anthony Davis and his 23/19 line. Spencer Dinwiddie had his best game as a Laker (by a lot), playing high end defense while chipping in with 11 points in 23 minutes.
There were even more subpar ones, however. LeBron James was inefficient and a turnover machine (TK overall). D'Angelo and Rui Hachimura weren't exactly models of consistent production, either. Outside of Dinwiddie's points, the Lakers had only five more from the bench. And they turned the ball over 28,502 times. Ok, it was only 21, but that's a lot, and it's what kept a vastly inferior team in the game.
But, in the end, the Lakers go tthe win they needed, and even gained a game on Golden State after the Warriors took a surprising home loss to the Pacers (who will be in LA to face the Lakers on Sunday). Every bit of breathing room over the Warriors in the 9/10 battle matters, and meanwhile the Lakers kept the dream of moving up alive.
In the spirit of that other big basketball event happening around the country, survive and advance.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
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The Lakers still have designs on moving up in the Western Conference, and the narrowest of windows in which to get it done. There are opportunities. The Suns, for example, have an insanely brutal schedule over their last 10 games, and the Lakers do own the tiebreaker against Phoenix. Sacramento is still in reach, and has a harder schedule than LA. But if the Lakers want to make any of this happen - and want to avoid the possibility of dropping to 10th, or even worse, open the door for a red hot Houston Rockets team, tonight's game at home against a moribund Philadelphia 76ers is simply one they should win, and must win. Must, must, must.
Must.
And it's those "should win" games where the Lakers have tended to struggle, playing down to the level of competition.
Can't happen tonight.
Meanwhile, the Lakers announced that Jalen Hood-Schifino will undergo a procedure to repair a disc issue in his back, and while no timetable was announced, it would certainly figure that he'll miss a good chunk of time, possibly the rest of the year. No impact on the big club... which really is the jumping off point for the conversation. That losing Hood-Schifino makes no difference for their fortunes shines a light on the decision to draft him in the first place over players more capable of playing an NBA role as rookies.
But that question - did they draft the right guy for THIS year, is a different one than whether Hood-Schifino is a bust. It's waaaaay too early for that. And meanwhile, his stats with South Bay are actually quite good. It's just a shame his season has been so short, both because he's been injured a lot and because the Lakers couldn't send him to the G-League nearly as much as they wanted because of the injury to Gabe Vincent.
Finally, a great question from a viewer on the YT page: With Cam Reddish back, would it make sense to put him in the starting lineup in order to boost the defense, and bring some scoring to the second unit?
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: The Lakers must win on Friday. There's just no way around it.
SEGMENT 2: Hood-Schifino needs back surgery, which opens up the debate about drafting him in the first place.
SEGMENT 3: Would a change in the lineup make sense?
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It's a day of problems, here at Locked On Lakers.
On Wednesday's show, the the long run of injuries was a major focus, with a lot of attention paid to sorting out who might be coming back from injury and when, and what that means for the Lakers as they try to win games. For today, there is some injury-related news—Cam Reddish practiced Wednesday and is expected to be back for Friday's game against Philadelphia, giving the Lakers some badly needed defensive presence and size on the wing—but the conversation turned towards the guys who take care of the players.
This year has been very problematic for the team, outside of the two guys (LeBron James, Anthony Davis) who everyone expected would miss a ton of games. Of course, those guys have their own dudes responsible for their health... which could point more towards the training staff, because seemingly everyone else on the roster has been busted and broken throughout the year. On the other, James and Davis have long had their own guys, and have struggled mightily to stay on the floor in the seasons prior to this one.
So many guys seem to have come back from injuries, only to have to sit down again. Or start off with something that is might seem relatively minor or short term, and three weeks later that same player is going under the knife. Is that a misdiagnosis? Or just the right-minded effort to try and make the player better without surgical intervention?
It can feel like the Lakers don't have the best of the best, even if it's hard to pinpoint exactly what the shortcomings are. Certainly by reputation the Lakers aren't known for spending big in support areas.
Meanwhile, Spencer Dinwiddie says he's being graded on a Dinwiddie-sized set of expectations, but is playing a Reggie Bullock type role. Is he right?
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: Do the Lakers have a problem with their training staff?
SEGMENT 2: How do you know if a training staff is good?
SEGMENT 3: The Lakers seem like they have a Dinwiddie problem. Is it the player or what the player is being asked to do?
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Many things related to the ability of the Lakers to make a run at the end of the year, and potentially into the playoffs, have to do with knowing who might be available to play.
To that end, Monday was a fairly instructive day... kinda, sorta. We did learn, though not from the team, that PF/C Christian Wood's knee is going to keep him out weeks longer, possibly through the end of the season. So that's not good. There was conflicting information about Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt. While some reports said that both would miss the rest of the year, others noted that Vincent expects to play again and is working his way back. For his part, Darvin Ham spoke about both in a manner that implied the team is expecting both to suit up before the end of the season. Clearly, though, Vanderbilt is further behind than Vincent.
And what do the Lakers do with Vincent when he's back? On the one hand, with Spencer Dinwiddie not quite panning out as expected, the Lakers could potentially kick the tires on Vincent, despite having only played five games this year. On the other, they really don't have the luxury of experimentation at this point.
Regardless, the absence of Wood leaves them with only one other true big on the roster, and that one (Jaxson Hayes) has his limitations. This does tilt the roster smaller and plays away from theoretical strengths, while shining a light on potential shortcomings (like rebounding).
Finally, LeBron James is on a new podcast with JJ Redick, and it's made for basketball nerds. Like, really nerdy. But a fun listen, because it's a great window into one of the things that truly separates LeBron from... well, everyone. The man's hoops IQ is off the charts, and when combined with his drive and physical gifts, you get arguably the greatest player the game has ever seen.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: The Lakers are getting players back... sort of.
SEGMENT 2: Figuring out what to do with guys as they return isn't as simple as it sounds.
SEGMENT 3: LeBron's brain.
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On Monday, we discussed how the Lakers were entering a critical stretch of games that could make or break the quest to, at minimum, maintain the nine seed in the play-in standings, if not actually rise higher. Why? Because most of these games, starting with tonight's against Atlanta, are against bad opponents. Thus, it was critical to immediately bag a win. Well, 136-105 over the Hawks certainly fits that bill.
Just as importantly, Anthony Davis returned to the lineup after leaving Saturday's loss to the Warriors with an eye injury. He'd been listed as questionable leading up to the game, and there had been some worries about whether, at minimum, he wouldn't be able to suit up for his one. Instead, he dominated to the tune of 22/15/6. In the meantime, D'Angelo Russell's 27 points featured six made threes, tying him with Nick Van Exel for the franchise's single season for record three-pointers. Throw in nice performances from LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and Max Christie, and the Lakers cruised to victory.
What to make it of all moving forward? Andy talks with special guest Claire de lune (@Clairempls), who covers the NBA for The Guardian.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, special guest Claire de lune.
SEGMENT 1: The Lakers get an easy but critical win over the Hawks.
SEGMENT 2: D'Angelo Russell ties a Lakers franchise record, indicative of a storm he's weathered.
SEGMENT 3: Claire has some issues with how the Lakers are covered in the national media. We discuss.
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The Lakers had a lousy weekend. Saturday's game was marred by an eye injury to Anthony Davis, one that has him listed as questionable for tonight's game at home vs. Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Lakers lost to Golden State, and the entire league suffered thanks to some horrible delays in replay work and a malfunctioning shot clock. I really was an ugly evening, all around.
Now, though, the Lakers find themselves in 10th place in the West, with some chance still to move up (at least to nine, if they can win some games, since they still have one more against the Warriors), and if it's going to happen, it'll be over the next stretch of games, all but a couple of which are against not just middling teams, but genuinely bad ones. Again, starting tonight with Atlanta.
The Lakers need to win these games not just because of seeding, but because nearly 70 games in, we're still not at a place where the Lakers can say they've ripped off eight wins in a row, or 10 of 12, or something that indicates a level of sustained excellence, and teams that can't do that don't win championships.
Of course, some wonder if that championship window has already been closed. Has the title era for LeBron and AD already passed? Was last year their last best shot? Did it close with the Westbrook deal? Are the Lakers in position to make the kind of improvements that are so clearly needed in order to rise to the level of the Denvers of the world?
Lots of questions to answer, even while the season carries on.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: The Lakers must, must, MUST take advantage of this soft portion of the schedule if they want to move up at all in the West (and avoid letting the Rockets creep up any closer).
SEGMENT 2: Has the LeBron/Davis window closed?
SEGMENT 3: Have the Lakers really recovered from the Westbrook deal? Is it possible to build around LeBron at this stage of his career?
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LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Terms and conditions apply.
eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.
BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.
PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!
GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.
FanDuelNew customers, join today and you’ll get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your first bet of FIVE DOLLARSor more wins. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
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