We have had to wait until 2022 to see the Lakers win four games in a row. After many excesses, the coronavirus, injuries and a long list of misfortunes, the Angelenos are beginning to resemble a good team, are positive (21-19) and look to the immediate future in a Western Conference in which almost no one has been well so far, but already many teams are beginning to wake up. The Suns and Warriors are joined by some Jazz that nobody talks about and who, apparently, have a very low ceiling, as always, in the playoffs. Ja Morant’s Grizzlies continue their spectacular streak. And the Lakers are placed in the middle of the game of the Mavericks, fourth, but they have Memphis with 5 victories, a still very great distance that would assure them an advantage from the field in the first round and a foot and a half in the semifinals. As long as, of course, they arrive healthy and with a sufficiently large and reliable rotation that includes LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
For now, Davis is still in dry dock (we’ll see if he returns this month or we have to wait until February) and LeBron is still in an improper version of a player who just turned 37 years old. Or even a human being. Since the outrageous loss to Minnesota, which was accompanied by Davis’ injury, LeBron has decided that he is not kidding.. Since then, 34 points, almost 10 rebounds, 6 assists and less than 3 losses in 36 minutes of play. The forward played point guard as soon as Frank Vogel arrived in the franchise and was the top assistant for the first time in his career and in the year of the ring. In this course, he has ended up jumping from the starting pivot in the absence of centers Angelenos who, beyond Dwight Howard, are nonexistent. DeAndre Jordan cannot play in the current NBA and Davis is injured. And LeBron, versatile, chameleonic and versatile, can also occupy that position. He has done it for the fifth time this season. When that happens, the Lakers’ record is 5-0 and the team’s point average is 127. There you go.
LeBron has gone to 32 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks against the Hawks. He has done it with 13 of 24 in field goals, bad in the triple (1 of 6) but perfect from the free throw line (5 of 5). And he has scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, in which the Lakers entered 14 up (101-87) after a spectacular third period. At that moment, the star has been in charge of mooring, has missed only two shots and has converted his only triple of the game, in addition to putting 2 spectacular blocks. And all in just over 9 minutes of play, a spectacular, enormous and extraordinary return on a legend who continues to fight against history, time and himself. An eternal fight for his position at Olimpo that, at 37 years old, he is rounding out with a surprising defensive effort. Against the Hawks, beyond the merely numerical, good hands, fights with Clit Capela (9 + 11) under the boards and helps Trae Young, showing good lateral movements and an attitude reminiscent of the LeBron of 2012-13. The one that reached its climax on both sides of the court.
The Lakers won thanks to a spectacular second half, a third quarter in which they broke the game (37-26) and a last in which, LeBron by means of, perfectly managed their advantage. Furthermore, they were ahead most of the time on a night in which there were only two lead changes on the scoreboard and they ran very well. They only committed 8 losses (15 for the Hawks) and touched 50% in shots from the field, in addition to exceeding 40% in triples, missing only two free throws and distributing a whopping 37 assists, a simply spectacular figure. Russell Westbrook was poor on the shot (14), but he went to 9 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, and the team finished with a +22 with him on the court. The other big man it was Malik Monk, 29 points (11 of 20 shooting, 7 of 12 3-pointers). The former Hornets continues to seek redemption after exiting Charlotte’s back door and entering his best phase of the season, which is also that of a team that had 17 points from Carmelo from the bench, 21 from Talen Horton-Tucker (with a spectacular dunk at the end of the third period) and some defensive detail from Trevor Ariza and, above all, Stanley Johnson, the last 10-day contract due to (or thanks to) a coronavirus that is still running, although we talk less about it.
On the Hawks, nothing works. A few months ago they disputed the final of the Eastern Conference and now they are immersed in a chain of misfortunes that seems to never end. They are in position 12 in the East (tremendous) and only a great streak would save them from total disaster, being left out of a playoffs They are not far off in terms of victories, but they are far in terms of sensations. Trae returned to pull the car with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 14 assists, but he was poor in the shot and only scored 1 triple of 7 attempts. Cam Reddish this time was not in the game and John Collins, with 21 points, was the other who wanted to be there. The Atlanta team is still without Gorgui Dieng, De’Andre Hunter, Solomon Hill, Chris Clemons and Cameron Oliver, due to coronavirus or other things. And they do not have, at the moment, the ability of the Lakers to trust their talent and emerge at a certain point. Although LeBron, one of the brightest minds in the sport, has found an explanation for the new Los Angeles streak: “It’s very simple. The players we didn’t have have started to come back“In a season like the one we are experiencing, it seems that avoiding casualties is the most important thing. The Lakers are already here. But arriving is not enough, of course. You have to stay.
