In tonight’s primetime matchup, the league paid tribute to Dr. King with signage and decals. And the guys honored him pregame with shooting shirts that said, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all.” The holiday remembers a man that dedicated his life to justice and freedom for all. The players in the NBA are still in pursuit of Dr. King’s mission to this day.
For most of the match, the Lakers had this in their grasp, then things opened up at the end of the fourth. The Warriors got their first lead of the game with just about two minutes to go. They rode that lead to the end.
Stephen Curry (26 pts, 7 ast) found his groove at just around half. And while his triples weren’t quite as hot as they normally are, he found a way to draw the Lakers outside of the arc, creating space for his teammates in the lane. Kelly Oubre Jr. (23 pts, 2 blk, 2 stl) was another standout for Golden State. He was heavily involved on both ends of the floor.
Although the Lakers let the game slip away, the loss wasn’t all bad.
Last year’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up, Dennis Schröder (25 pts, 5 reb) joined the Lakers this 2020-21 season and asked for a chance to start with the Purple and Gold. This season, Dennis is bringing his spark from the start. He was the Lakers’ leading scorer of the night and looked to get in on the action early. Dennis can make something happen on any part of the floor — and he gets there quick. He went 8-for-15 from the field tonight. And as stealthy as he was on offense, he was a disruptor on D.
Last year’s Sixth Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell (17 pts, 8 reb, 2 blk) is still doing Sixth Man of the Year things on the Lakers. Trez was a moving target on the Lakers’ end of the floor, and a closed door on the other end. He was ducking, he was dodging, and when he wasn’t grabbing the ball under the hoop, he was jumping up over guys to the basket.
Anthony Davis (17 pts, 17 reb, 7 ast) approached triple-double territory tonight. The Brow would not be denied, but he did do some denying. With 3 blocks and 2 steals, he was keen on protecting the team’s latest No. 3 spot in the league for fewest opponent points. But the best part of Davis’ game tonight were his dimes. AD led his team in assists which isn’t surprising with dishes like this:
The game recap isn’t complete without a mention of Kyle Kuzma (15 pts, 10 reb). This season, Kuz has been looking for opportunities to make an impact and he’s been doing so in various ways. Tonight, Kuz Control included attacking the basket, lefty layups, an avid rebounding.
The game was close, but no cigar. The Lake Show is going back on the road and will face Milwaukee Wednesday.