The Lakers (45-33) built upon a 5-1 road trip with an impressive 116-97 victory over Cleveland on Saturday afternoon, ahead of the second game of a back-to-back set against Minnesota (53-24) on Sunday evening. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.
STANDINGS WATCH CONTINUES
For the first time since December, the Lakers are out of the No. 9 seed, if in a tenuous manner, since No. 9 Sacramento has the same number of losses, and the season tiebreaker:
5) Dallas (47-30); 6* (vs. HOU, @ CHA, @ MIA, vs. DET, @ OKC)
6) Phoenix (46-31); 7 (vs. NOP, vs. LAC, @ LAC, @ SAC, @ MIN)
7) New Orleans (45-32); 8 (@ PHX, @ POR, @ SAC, @ GSW, vs. LAL)
8) Lakers (45-33); 8.5 (vs. MIN, vs. GSW, @ MEM, @ NOP)
9) Kings (44-33); 9 (@ BKN, @ OKC, vs. NOP, vs. PHX, vs. POR)
10) Warriors (42-35); 11 (vs. UTA, @ LAL, @ POR, vs. NOP, vs. UTA)
*Games back of No. 1 Minnesota
That sets up the following scenarios:
IF: LAL 4-0
THEN: SAC 4-1; NOP 4-1; PHX 3-2; DAL 1-4
LAL 3-1
SAC 3-2; NOP 3-2; PHX 2-3; DAL 0-5
LAL 2-2
SAC 2-3; NOP 2-3; PHX 1-4
LAL 1-3
SAC 1-4; NOP 1-4; PHX 0-5
*LAL own tiebreaker over PHX, lead NOP 2-1 (April 14 H2H to decide)
**DAL + SAC own tiebreaker over LAL
LAKERS GET DEFENSIVE VS. CAVS
To summarize L.A.’s season from a general standpoint: the defense was very good early while the offense lagged. Then things flipped, and the offense was carrying the day, but the defense had slipped.
But in the last 10 games, nine of which have been Lakers wins, the defense is up to No. 5 in efficiency, and the offense ninth, for a net rating of 107.1, good for fifth in the league in that stretch.
The defense flexed its muscles against the Cavs, with Anthony Davis posting six blocks with three steals, not to mention 13 rebounds, as he dominated a big Cleveland frontline featuring both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
We asked Darvin Ham what was working.
“Being better on the ball, guys just not depending on AD to clean everything up, allowing themselves to be blown by and whatnot,” summarized the head coach. “We had some good (defensive performances) from several guys. A central focus for us was handling small-small pick and rolls better, more communicative on our (normal) screen roll coverage … and that enables AD to go out and be the great defender that he is, great player at the rim, out on the perimeter, covering up for everything, his activity, forcing people to change shots, forcing people into turnovers as well as his blocks and steals.
“That’s where we have to hang our hat, our identity going forward, the way we defend. Once we get stops and hold teams to one shot, what we do offensively is through the roof, it’s hard to contain us. The defense helps the offense, when you’re able to force live-ball turnovers, hold teams to bad shots, long misses, it ignites your break and allows you to get into a good rhythm offensively.”
Davis is always going to be the key on defense, but it’s nice for him to get more help from his guards.
“It keeps me around the rim on the bigs where now, our guards aren’t trying to box out bigs where the other team’s bigs have an advantage,” said Davis. “When our guards are keeping the ball in front and making guys take tough twos, tough shots, it’s easy for me to stay connected, I don’t have to help as much, and now myself, LeBron, Rui can go get the rebound and get out and run.”
Up next is another good test against the West’s current No. 1 seed, Minnesota.
MINNESOTA IMPRESSIVE SANS KAT
Wolves All-Star Karl Anthony-Towns opted for surgery on his knee in early March, leaving the rest of the NBA, and the West in particular, to wonder if the Wolves would be able to keep up the pace that had them in the Conference’s No. 1 spot for much of the year up to that point.
The answer, very clearly, has been yes.
In fact, the Wolves are 10-5 in their last 15 games, essentially improving even more defensively with a slight drop in their offensive production. That’s not unexpected given KAT’s skillset.
Before March 6, Minnesota had an offensive efficiency of 114.6, and a defensive efficiency of 108.0
Since March 6, the offense is at 113.6, and the defense at 106.2.
The biggest reason they’ve been able to tread water is the emergence of Naz Reid, perhaps the best backup big man in the NBA, and a Sixth Man of the Year favorite to many.
Reid upped his production from 12.3 points per game in February to 16.4 in March, while going from 5.2 boards to 6.9. In three April games, Reid is averaging 18.7 points, 8.0 points, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals on 46.7% FG’s and 50.0% from 3, with 3.3 makes per game, including six against Toronto on April 3.
The Lakers will need to account for Reid in much of the same ways that they did Towns back in the two narrow losses in December (118-111 and 108-106).
In L.A.’s 120-109 victory in March, LAL did allow Reid to score 25 points with five made triples, but limited the rest of the Wolves quite well, including holding Anthony Edwards to 25 points on 10 of 23 FG’s. Rudy Gobert missed that game, as LeBron went for 29 points, Davis 27 and Austin Reaves 19.