LeBron James Sparks Short-Handed Lakers; Playoff Seeding, Kennard’s Expanded Role, Vanderbilt-Redick Dust-Up
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With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, LeBron James has reclaimed the primary scoring mantle and kept the Lakers afloat. Over the past three games, the 41-year-old forward has averaged 28.0 points, 12.7 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 60.0% overall and 46.2% from beyond the arc.
“I had to tap back into a role that I’ve been accustomed to in the past,” James said. “Circumstances have put me back in there, and I’m just trying to feed off my teammates, teammates are feeding off me, and just trying to make things happen for us to continue to stay afloat.”
Home-Court Secured, Seed Still in Flux
Friday’s results locked Los Angeles into home-court advantage for the opening playoff round. Denver and the Lakers will finish as the Western Conference’s third and fourth seeds in some order, with Houston locked at No. 5 and Minnesota at No. 6. Sitting fourth, L.A. can rise to No. 3 by beating Utah on Sunday and seeing Denver lose at San Antonio.
Kennard Takes on Playmaking Duties
Guard Luke Kennard has embraced additional ball-handling responsibilities during the injury crunch, dishing out 31 assists over the last four contests. Head coach JJ Redick praised Kennard’s professionalism, while James highlighted the veteran’s versatility. “People just kind of gave him the narrative of being a shooter,” James noted. “But he does so many more things… and what we’re missing right now, we need it more than ever.”
Vanderbilt, Redick Clear the Air
Forward Jarred Vanderbilt said he and Redick resolved their recent sideline confrontation after Friday’s win against Phoenix. “We talked about it, we moved on from it,” Vanderbilt said. “At this point in the season, we both realize this is the group we got. So it’s definitely not a time for anybody to separate.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
