Lakers Lose a Nailbiter in the Windy City
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Like a Jekyll and Hyde act this year, the Lakers of what many fans envisioned showed up tonight. Anthony Davis may be out, but the numbers had already told us the Lakers look the best this year when LeBron James is on the court without Davis. Before tonight’s game, the team was a plus 100 with James on the court and AD not. When both are on the court together, they were only a plus four for the season.
With what seems like a revolving door game-to-game, the Lakers had a legitimate shot to win this game. The Lakers turned the ball over 10 times in the first half, and the Bulls took advantage converting 16 points out of that. Without Anthony Davis, the Lakers switched to a LeBron James at center lineup in the second quarter and got back into the game immediately.
The second half was a nailbiter, with the lead changing hands multiple times. They really had a shot at winning tonight’s contest, but the Lakers are one of the worse free throw shooting teams in the league, and that cost them tonight’s game (14-22 tonight). DeMar DeRozan took over in the fourth quarter as he scored 19 of his 38 total points in the final frame. He converted 16 of 17 free throws, more than the entire Lakers team.
Isaiah Thomas Continues to Impress
What a week it has been for IT! Thomas went from a free agent to a starter for the Lakers within a matter of days. In 34 minutes, Thomas scored 13 points with three long balls, on eleven shots. If Thomas keeps this up, he will force Rob Pelinka to sign him for the rest of the season.
Former Laker Alex Caruso Showed Out
AC went full revenge game tonight and reminded the Lakers why they should not have let him walk. With his usually defensive presence felt all game, he also scored 17 points on 11 shots, and chipped in with nine rebounds. His grit and ability to do the dirty work is what made him a fan favorite, and the Lakers will definitely regret this for years to come.
Trevor Ariza Debuts
Ariza only played 15 minutes and he made his presence felt in the first half when James found him for a corner three. However, he did get some crunch time minutes for defensive purposes. Coach David Fizdale did say before the game that he would be eased in back in the rotation, so expect his minutes to gradually pick up as he gets back into game shape.
