The Los Angeles Lakers finally had their key pieces on the floor together Friday night, and the result was a crisp 125-122 triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.
For the first time in nearly four months, Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves all started and finished the game healthy. The trio jump-started an offense that looked noticeably smoother from the opening tip.
The Lakers converted 16 of their final 17 shots in the first quarter, piling up 41 points while shooting better than 80 percent. Early sets featured Doncic attacking downhill, James setting screens and distributing, and Reaves cutting into open space. “The quality of shots was high,” Reaves said, according to the California Post. “The ball was moving, and we were moving their defense.”
Head coach JJ Redick praised the approach more than the numbers. “It was clutter-free, ego-free. We just played,” he told reporters.
By the end of the night, Los Angeles had 31 assists and hit just over 51 percent of its attempts from both the field and beyond the arc. The victory pushed the Lakers to 125 points without relying on isolation play, a style the team has been eager to display since training camp.
Friday marked the first time since late October that the Lakers’ preferred lineup was fully available, and the offense responded with its most balanced showing of the season.
Source: Hoops Wire
