Lakers vs. Warriors: In a Lakers victory over Golden State on Saturday night, James exploded for 56 points. If you hadn’t seen the Lakers play a single game this season, you have been saying to yourself, “Man, what’s all this noise about the Lakers stinking?” They didn’t even have Anthony Davis. They just beat the Warriors, who had the league’s second-best record. LeBron James scored 56 points and has shown that he can still carry a flawed team to victory.
The Lakers don’t get to play the Warriors every night without Draymond Green. That’s not to say LeBron’s performance wasn’t impressive. He had the best ability. Also, he’s the reason no one can completely write off the Lakers, who are otherwise a bad NBA team. But what about the Warriors if Green isn’t there? They’re also quite hard to watch.
Golden State Warriors
Lakers vs. Warriors: Golden State Warriors‘ defense has devolved into a train wreck in Draymond Green’s absence over the previous month. Golden State has been a bottom-10 defensive team since February 1, conceding more than 115 points per 100 possessions. In entering play on Saturday, when they gave up 124 to the Lakers. Before Green’s injury, they were the No. 1 defense in the league, giving up 102.2 points per 100.
Stephen Curry’s shooting troubles or Klay Thompson’s continuous re-acclimation process may be over. But Curry hasn’t shot well all season by his standards, and Thompson hasn’t played for the most season. The Warriors’ defense was the reason they were so good despite these obstacles. It helped them win games. There are a lot of them.
They’re now undersized, and they’ve lost one of his generation’s best defenders. They’re also gasping for air. Without Green, they are 14-13. And following their loss on Saturday night, the Warriors are now down by half a game. In the Western Conference, it is behind the Memphis Grizzlies.
Los Angeles Lakers
On Saturday, the Lakers could take whatever shot they wanted. They created nearly half of their appearances. In addition, there were 18 3s at a 44 percent clip. They were able to get into the paint at will. They blasted Golden State with offensive put-backs when they did miss. LeBron was once again a smokin’ hot player. He went 19-for-31 from the field, including 6-for-11 from the three-point line. He hit 12 of the 13 free throws he attempted. In 39 minutes, he also had 10rebounds. All night, LeBron was aggressive in getting downhill, especially in transition.
Early on, there’s a head of steam in the offense. He took his time getting near the rim and overpowered the Warriors. According to Statmuse’s Twitter status, James is the first player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game. Before the age of 21 and after the age of 35.
Also, added this tweet
LeBron James finished with 56 pts & 10 rebs in the Lakers' 124-116 win over the Warriors.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 6, 2022
At age 37, he is oldest player in NBA history to record at least 55 pts & 10 rebs in a game.
He's also the 1st Laker with a 55-10 game since Shaquille O'Neal in March 2000. pic.twitter.com/yik81ys8Wd
Here are the highlights for those of you who came for the highlights.
“We still have games to play,” LeBron James said after the Lakers’ loss to Dallas on Tuesday. Until you stomp me out, chop my head off, bury me 12 feet deep, then I have a shot. So it’s my confidence. LeBron James has earned the right to believe he can perform miracles. Saturday night games serve as a reminder of the dangers of counting him. It is, by extension, the Lakers, who are prematurely out of anything.
And yes, the Lakers trail the Clippers for the eighth seed by four games. It means they’ll almost surely have to win two play-in games and easy to secure the No. 8 seed, which would almost certainly mean a repeat with the Suns in the first round, who eliminated L.A. in the previous round. Also, in the previous campaign But the prospect of Davis returning just in time and LeBron, well, being LeBron, is enough to give hope a second wind.
Read also: Lakers vs. Warriors: The two teams who have recently struggled to win.
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