Preseason 2019

Joey Ramirez

The Lakers’ preseason didn’t end with victory, but thanks to Zach Norvell Jr. there were some fireworks at the finale.

The undrafted rookie dropped 29 points — most of any Laker this preseason — though his team fell to Golden State, 124-103.

“I’m just comfortable letting it fly,” Norvell said. “I’m a shooter — so any shot I shoot I feel like’s it’s going in, honestly.”

On a two-way contract, the former Gonzaga Bulldog was electric on offense, canning five 3-pointers in a variety of fashions — spotting up, off screens and off the dribble.

He also did some work inside the arc, including on the play of the night when he went behind his back, causing defender Jordan Poole to fall to the ground, where he watched Norvell finish with an and-1 layup.

It was the second time this week that Norvell crossed Poole to the floor, and both plays ended with a bucket plus the foul.

“I’m just trying to break them down, get to the basket,” Norvell said. “It’s pretty cool to see [my teammates] go crazy though.”

Despite the loss, the Lakers did enjoy some other impressive individual performances. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope popped off for 14 first-quarter points and finished with 25.

Devontae Cacok had a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. Demetrius Jackson added 11 points and nine assists. Kostas Antetokounmpo pitched in seven points, six rebounds and five blocks.

However, it was not enough against the sweet-shooting backcourt of Stephen Curry (32 points) and D’Angelo Russell (29), who drilled six triples apiece.

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Norvell Goes for 29 in Lakers' Preseason Conclusion

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Running Diary: Warriors 124 | Lakers 103

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Postgame: LeBron James (10/16/19)

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Postgame: Danny Green (10/16/19)

LOS ANGELES – Safe to say LeBron James and Anthony Davis are ready.

The Lakers’ dynamic duo put on a show Wednesday night against a short-handed Warriors team, leading the purple and gold to a 33-point win.

James was particularly impressive and seemed to use the game as a dress rehearsal for Opening Night – six days away vs. the Clippers.

The Akron native took just 9 shots in 25 minutes but dominated the game from tipoff until he checked out for good midway through the third period. James finished scored 18 points and set the tone with 11 assists, including a no-look fling to Danny Green that brought the crowd to its feet.

“It started with AD’s outlet to me in the middle while I was streaking,” James recounted. “I’d seen Danny and I tried to just attack the rim until the last possible second and I was able to find him in the corner. J-Kidd told me all night to push the tempo, push the pace, and that’s just the result of it.”

LBJ’s teammates fed off of his generosity and the team finished with 33 assists on 49 made baskets, many of them open looks that allowed L.A. to shoot 50% from downtown and almost 60% overall.

And on the other side of the floor, the team was inspired by Davis’ intensity. The former Pelican was still seen diving for loose balls in the second half when the game was already virtually decided.

AD didn’t have his best scoring night, yet still finished just shy of a triple-double in his first game at STAPLES Center donning a Lakers jersey: 8 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, with a steal and a pair of blocks for good measure.

His passing game was definitely on point:

“It starts with me and Bron, coming out with great defensive intensity and turning defense into offense”, Davis said.

With the possible exception of Rajon Rondo (rest) and Kyle Kuzma (left foot stress reaction), Vogel played all of his rotation guys during the first 2 1/2 quarters of the game, providing a glimpse of the way he’s leaning heading into the regular season.

And boy did they look good. Quinn Cook, making his Lakers debut, led the bench in scoring with 16 points. After dealing with a sore left calf during most of training camp and preseason, the former Warrior impressed in his 15 minutes on the floor, going 4-for-5 from three.

Avery Bradley was also impressive as the fifth Beatle in the starting lineup, playing his 3-and-D role to perfection. The veteran had 18 points (7-9 from field and 4-5 from beyond the arc).

And at the center position, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard combined for 25 points and 13 boards in about the same amount of minutes, continuing their successful timeshare.

“We have a lot of great players”, Davis noted. “We find those guys, they make shots. We have bigs who we can throw it up to and guards who can shot the ball.”

The Lakers play the Warriors one final time on Friday before the games truly starting counting. James liked what he saw, but admitted it’s all still a work in progress.

“We have a couple of days to continue to tweak things,” he said. “The regular season does start on Tuesday, but we won’t be the team we want to be on Tuesday. We want to continue to be as great as we every single game, see what happens on Tuesday, and keep building from there.”

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James, Davis Lead Offensive Eruption in Preseason Win

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Running Diary: Lakers 126 | Warriors 96

We’ve arrived at the end of the preseason!

Here is what you need to know before the Lakers play their last exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors:

Frank Vogel made sure to give both LeBron James and Anthony Davis plenty of run during Wednesday night’s matchup in what will be their last game of this preseason.

Both seem clearly ready for Tuesday, as AD fell just shy of a triple-double (8 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) and LBJ dropped 18 points and 11 dimes in 25 minutes.

The duo is already showing great chemistry, and if Wednesday night is any indication, their teammates will get a steady dose of open shots throughout the season.

Even on a night when they had 33 assists, the Lakers still finished with 21 turnovers.

Vogel pointed out on Thursday that taking care of the ball is the one aspect he’d like to clean up before Opening Night.

“Less than we’ve done every preseason game,” the head coach mentioned as a target. “If you can have it around 10 or 12, that’s a good ball security night. We haven’t come close to that but we’ll continue to strive for that.”

Vogel said he prefers shot clock-induced giveaways to live turnovers, but he was still extremely impressed by how his players moved the ball on Wednesday.

The team will have to thin out its roster before Tuesday’s game against the Clippers, but before that they’ll take one last look at some of its younger pieces.

Devontae Cacok and Demetrius Jackson had some very solid moments throughout preseason and will look to finish strong, while the recently signed Marcus Allen will likely see some court time as well.

Beyond them, Quinn Cook and Jared Dudley – both limited in preseason due to minor injuries – will try to make up for lost time. Cook had an excellent debut on Wednesday, and his shooting is shaping up to be another dangerous weapon on Vogel’s arsenal.

Lakers: LeBron James (rest), Anthony Davis (rest), Kyle Kuzma (stress reaction left foot), Talen Horton-Tucker (stress reaction right foot), and DeMarcus Cousins (torn left ACL) are out.

Warriors: Klay Thompson (ACL surgery), Willie Cauley-Stein (left foot sprain) and Kevon Looney (hamstring) are out.

TV: Spectrum SportsNet locally, NBA TV nationally

Location: Chase Center — San Francisco, California

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Lakers at Warriors: 3 Things to Know (10/18/19)

Here is what you need to know before the Lakers tip off their second annual Pride Night against the Golden State Warriors.

1) Snacks went HAM last game
Zach “Snacks” Norvell Jr. immediately endeared himself to the home crowd in his STAPLES Center debut on Sunday. The undrafted rookie got the spot start and dropped a game-high 22 points to lead the Lakers’ victory over Golden State.

Norvell took no time to get hot, splashing a triple on L.A.’s very first possession en route to 10 points in the first quarter alone. He was lethal with and without the ball in his hands, displaying a level of craft well beyond his 21 years of age.

And he also had the nastiest move of the night, dropping Jordan Poole with a filthy crossover before finishing through contact at the cup with an and-1 layup.

2) Dwight put his whole skill set on display
Dwight Howard joined Norvell in the starting five and made the most of his 22 minutes of court time. He made play after play, finishing the night with 12 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Howard was even money from the foul line, shooting 8-of-10 on free throws.

While it’s well-known that he can still be an elite glass-cleaner, Howard’s passing and defense were especially impressive. He constantly made the right reads within the offense and thrived on defense both high on the court and back protecting the rim.

3) Return of LBJ and AD?
After playing without LeBron James and Anthony Davis on Sunday, the Lakers could see both of their leaders back in the mix for this one.

James rested the Lakers’ first game back from China, while Davis sat out due to a sprained thumb.

Should Davis be able to play, this will be a much-anticipated home debut for the Lakers’ newest star.

Injury Report
Lakers: Anthony Davis (sprained thumb), Quinn Cook (foot) and Troy Daniels (knee) are TBD. Kyle Kuzma (stress reaction, left foot) and Talen Horton-Tucker (stress reaction, right foot) are out.

Warriors: Alec Burks (right ankle sprain) is TBD. Klay Thompson (left ACL rehabilitation), Kevon Looney (right hamstring strain), Willie Cauley-Stein (left midfoot sprain) and Alen Smailagic (right ankle sprain) are out.

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet in L.A. ESPN nationally.
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 Tu Liga
Unis: White Icon
Location: STAPLES Center — Los Angeles, California