The Los Angeles Lakers are going full force as we sprint to the end of the NBA season.
The Lakers picked up a much-needed 116-104 win last night at home against the surging Oklahoma City Thunder behind a resilient performance from Anthony Davis at Crypto Arena.
"We understand time is of the essence," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "And we've got to get busy in order to do what we're trying to do."
The game saw an all-hands-on-deck effort for the purple and gold that saw several Lakers step up against the young and hungry Lakers.
James was a menace on defense, slowing down potential MVP Candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Austin Reeves had made several big plays and shots as well.
However, the game's real stars were Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell, who both had big-time performances last night.
Russell finished the game with 26 points, six rebounds, and four steals in 34 minutes. He shot 9 out of 17 from the field; while Anthony Davis dropped 24 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks in 30 minutes.
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SGA had a strong game, with 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. However, rookie Chet Holmgren only scored 15 points.
Oklahoma City Thunder jumped out to a 20-8 lead early. However, the Lakers turned it up defensively last night. They would hold OKC to only five points throughout the remainder of the first quarter.
The Lakers' solid defense, which saw Reeves and James hounding Gilgeous-Alexander for the duration of the contest, would then turn to great offense. They would see Anthony Davis score 15 of his 24 points in the paint.
The Lakers would lead by as much as 17 points during the game, with their defensive onslaught being too much for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers are the only team with three wins over the Thunder this season. Their victory also knocked Oklahoma City down from the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
The Thunder's 104 points were the fewest given up in a game by the Lakers since Jan 7th.
Are the Lakers Play-In Bound or Playoff Bound?
The Lakers are playing for their playoff life, with each win at this point of the season being more crucial than the last for a chance at a Home Play-In game at the Crypto.com arena.
The Lakers have now three straight wins in a row and they have a date with the Kings when they invade Cyrpto.com arena.
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