Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers earned their first win of the new season on Thursday night, defeating Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, who were without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
The Lakers slept through most of their home opener, finding themselves trailing by 12 points at the end of the third quarter before coming back in the fourth quarter.
As usual, LeBron James led the game in shooting, attacking the rim at will. James played the entire fourth quarter, breaking through the playing time limit, and finally scored 21 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
It was the first matchup between him and Durant since Christmas 2018, and despite the ages of these stars, they didn’t disappoint.
Durant finished with a team-high 39 points, 11 rebounds and two assists, although he did commit eight turnovers and was clearly missing his usual ball-handling partner. Christian Wood performed well in defending Durant, coming off the bench to score 7 points and 10 rebounds.
Anthony Davis has put together a monster rally for Los Angeles after going scoreless in the second half of the season opener. In this quarter, he scored 13 points in a single quarter and scored 30 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals for the Lakers in 39 minutes of playing time.
What really wins the game for the Lakers is their defense in the fourth quarter. Davon Ham elected to keep James and Davis on the floor throughout the game, and they, along with Wood, forced some tough shots and untimely turnovers from Durant and the Suns, leading to much-needed fast-break opportunities.
Even though this game wasn’t pretty and the Suns lost two of their top players, the Lakers will take any win they can get as their first of the year and hope to avoid a disastrous 2-10 start and let They fought hard throughout the game. last season.
Next up for the Lakers…
The Lakers now have a few days off before they return to the road to face conference rivals the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. This is the first of a back-to-back game as they return home to face the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage of events, attend live shows, and more!