After a win vs. Detroit gave them their 2nd straight victory, the Lakers (4-10) take on the Spurs (6-11) on Sunday night. The game tips at 6:30pm on Spectrum SportsNet and 710 ESPN radio.
Below are three things to know ahead of the matchup:
AD CONTINUES HIS DOMINANCE
In Friday's win over the Pistons, Anthony Davis again put together a monstrous performance, scoring a season-high 38 points while pulling down 16 rebounds. With that game, AD became the first Lakers player since Shaq in January of 2000 to put up a line of 35+ points and 15+ rebounds in back to back games (AD put up 37 and 18 vs. the Nets in his previous game).
His performance vs. the Pistons was also the 8th time in his career that Davis put up at least 35 points and 15 rebounds while adding 4 (or more) blocked shots. Not only is that the most instances in the NBA since 2010, but it's more than every other player currently in the league has combined:
- Anthony Davis - 8 times
- Joel Embiid - 4 times
- Giannis Antetokoumnpo - 1 time
- Rudy Gobert - 1 time
Davis won't be this productive every game, but he's again showing how dominant he can be and the unique ways he can have an impact on a night to night basis.
AUSTIN & LONNIE'S LAST 5
In a season where the newness of the team and fluctuations in player availability has led Coach Ham to shift his lineups and rotations in search of solutions that he can build on, both Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker have made their cases for expanded roles over the course of their last five games.
Reaves has tallied at least 30 minutes in each of those games and has played well above his season averages, bumping his scoring (13.8 vs. 9.0), rebounding (4.6 vs. 3.3), and assists (2.4 vs. 1.9) during this time.
While it's natural to expect some increased production with more court time, it is Reaves' overall assertiveness that has stood out most. He's taken on more responsibility to initiate the offense and be more of a lead-guard type -- particularly in the games where LeBron has sat out -- and used those opportunities to attack the defense more often. That aggressiveness has led to an uptick in FGA's, FTA's, and a steadier offensive contributor who has been making plays all over the court.
As for Walker, he's really stepped up to provide the team a legitimate third-option offensively and has found a great rhythm shooting the ball. Over his last five games he's scoring 17.2 points a game on 52/47/93 shooting splits. He's been especially impressive creating shots off the dribble and has found ways to make plays that impress for reasons that go beyond the ways his athleticism shines through when he's attacking.
Against both the Nets and the Pistons, Walker made the type of quiet plays that stood out for their efficiency and effectiveness as much anything you might see on one of his highlight mixes. From snaking pick-and-rolls for pull up jumpers to getting downhill on drives for a finish at the rim or to drop off a pass to a teammate for an easy basket, Walker's been put into a position to be a primary shot creator -- especially late in both those games -- and he's proven himself worthy of that trust.
Both will look to keep this momentum going vs. the Spurs.
MATCHUP VS. THE SPURS
The Spurs began the season as one of the surprise teams of the league, winning five of their first seven games, including W's over the T'Wolves, Bulls, and and 76ers. Since that hot start, however, they've lost nine of their last 10 games -- including last night's game vs. the Clippers that pushed their losing streak to four games.
Normally, when a team starts to struggle you can root their challenges back to one side of the ball. For the Spurs, though, that isn't so simple. Their rankings on both ends have taken significant dips in their last 10 games:
- First 7 games: Offensive Rating of 114.1 (11th), Defensive Rating of 114.3 (21st)
- Last 10 games: Offensive Rating of 105.5 (28th) Defensive Rating of 120.4 (30th)
With LeBron James still questionable to play due to his strained adductor, if the Lakers hope to continue their own momentum while making it difficult on the Spurs to course-correct out of their current tailspin, they can continue their formula of working through Anthony Davis as the hub of their offensive attack.
While it might seem counterintuitive to go at the Spurs' (and one of the NBA's) best interior defenders in Jakob Poeltl, Davis' ability to pressure defenses from different spots on the floor by playing off the dribble or out of traditional post-ups can challenge Poeltl to defend effectively in both space and close quarters. While his size can -- and will -- be a challenge, AD can counter with quickness and shotmaking.
The Lakers can also leverage Poeltl's desire to protect the paint by attacking off the dribble and putting him in position to help on drives, while also trying to keep track of Davis. Over his last five games AD is averaging four offensive rebounds a game and much of that work comes from trailing the wake of dribble penetration from a teammate and taking advantage of the fact that his own man has left him to challenge a shot. The Spurs rank 28th in defensive rebounding rate this season, which is another reason to continue to challenge their ability to both protect the paint and then finish possessions with a rebound.
On the other side of the court, the Lakers must maintain their own defensive integrity by continuing to rotate and keep track of their assignments against a good ball movement and set offense team. The Spurs rank 2nd in the NBA in assists per game and nearly 68% of their made baskets are assisted. High level communication and being on the same page within the team's defensive scheme is always a must, but is particularly important vs. a team like the Spurs.