After a terrible first quarter, the Lakers managed to beat the Mavericks, 114-103.
Advanced Box Score:
The Lakers started the game slow, playing lethargically. They carried the same energy from the last three quarters of the previous game, where they were playing on their heels on both ends of the floor. LeBron was forced to be more active on defense after Harrison Barnes hit a couple of three pointers and was switched to point guards early on as well.
Dallas led by as much as 15 points with 10:00 left in the 2nd quarter. The Lakers scoring run was sparked by LeBron James, repeatedly attacking the basket, drive after drive, and finishing with dunks. Lonzo Ball kept the energy going, forcing turnovers early and went into halftime with 4 steals. During a 3-minute stint with the 5-man lineup of LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, and Lonzo Ball, they had a 142.9 ORtg and 28.6 DRtg, with a 66.7% rebounding percentage and 71.4% true shooting percentage. This helped fuel a run to cut the lead down to 5 points by half time.
The second half was far more choppy, due to the officiating on both ends of the floor, for both teams. However, the bench play continued to bring energy, with contributions from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Josh Hart, and Tyson Chandler. Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma did a great job defensively on Luka Doncic. He finished 2 of 13 from the field. Altogether, they played 7 minutes, with a 146.7 ORtg and 64.3 DRtg. They dominated the backboard with a 60% rebounding percentage, 87.5% on the defensive glass, and finished with a 69.8% TS during the stint.
The Lakers simply ran away with the game and extended the lead from the middle of the 4th quarter to the very end.
Lonzo finds JaVale while in mid-air! ????????
Halftime in LA:#LakeShow 53#MFFL 58
Harrison Barnes: 18 PTS
Brandon Ingram: 13 PTS????????: https://t.co/L3VurkatG8 pic.twitter.com/KgQFKDS1op
— NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2018
Three Observations
1. Kyle Kuzma, despite a bad shooting night, arguably had the best well-rounded game this season. He shot 4 of 12 from the field, made 3 of 7 behind the arc, but along with great defense on Doncic, added 12 rebounds and 6 assists. I think it has something to do with the headband.
2. Despite Lonzo Ball’s -6 net effect rating, it was his turnovers forced, activity on defense, and passing that sparked the Lakers’ transition game. He sat a lot of the 2nd half due to foul trouble, as the Lakers were extending the lead.
3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is hitting his stride offensively. Like Josh Hart, his game is comprised of 3-point shot attempts and finishes at the rim. He does a good job getting out in transition and creating some havoc defensively.
Lonzo Ball putting those quick hands to use with four first-half steals.
Lakers scored on all of them, with Zo scoring, assisting or drawing a foul. pic.twitter.com/wREVfvuWv6
— Joey Ramirez (@JoeyARamirez) December 1, 2018
Two Questions
1. What will it take for the Lakers to keep the energy going? If ever there was a game where defensive stops and forcing turnovers got the team out in transition and make big scoring runs, this was it. There were a few plays that were reminiscent of the 80’s Showtime Lakers, that would make those same runs off of transition play and get the energy going. The team had this energy in the 1st quarter against the Pacers but couldn’t sustain it. Against the Mavericks, it started in the 2nd quarter and carried until the game was out of reach.
2. Can Kyle Kuzma keep it going? There’s the idea that if Kuzma isn’t making shots, that he’s not contributing elsewhere on the floor. This hasn’t been true for two games in a row, but his effort really stood out against the Mavericks. Not only was he getting in transition, he found ways to get others involved and even forced Luka to take a few baseline step-back baseline jumpshots that weren’t close. If he contribute in these ways, regardless of his shooting, it changes the complexion of his individual upside and the team’s overall upside.
One Prediction
While this is a game to build off of, it may be a struggle against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers usually start slow on Sundays, and a 12:30 P.M. pacific time tip off doesn’t help. The defensive energy of the entire team led to the victory against the Mavericks, but they need to show that consistently for the full season.
It’ll be up to the younger players on the Laker team to set the tone defensively and maintain the high level of energy throughout the game. They showed signs with Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, Caldwell-Pope, and Chandler in the lineup. If they get out running, watch out.
Sunday against Phoenix will be a good test.
*Special thanks to Andrew D.Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images, @JoeyARamirez for the Laker highlights, NBA.com/stats*
