The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from an embarassing blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons with a 122-114 win against the Miluwakee Bucks.
Feb 10, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) drives for the basket around Milwaukee Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) during the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY SportsHighs
The first three quarters: I genuinely can’t remember the last time the Lakers started a game as hot as they did. They shot over 80 percent from the field in the first quarter, leading them to a season-high 47-point first quarter. They could not miss.
Nicholas Aaron Young: Nick Young is ready for the three-point contest. He shot a blazing 62.5 percent from behind the arc (5-for-8) and finished the game with a team-high 24 points. He also contributed four assists, two rebounds and two steals. His four assists only trailed D’Angelo Russell, the team’s point guard. Just another day in the life of Swaggy P.
Iviza Zubac: It’s so hard to root against Iviza Zubac. Not only is he probably the most gentle giant in the NBA, but he’s also really good at basketball. The 19-year-old from Bosnia-Herzegovina put up 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field in his 20 minutes of playing time. This is the sixth time in 10 games Zubac has posted double figures in less than 30 minutes of playing time. In other words, he’s been pretty good, and tonight was no exception.
Feb 10, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Michael Beasley (9) battle for the ball during the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Lows
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The Lou Williams/Jordan Clarkson backcourt: Luke Walton did a wonderful thing and broke up the bench mob to bolster LA’s first unit. However, the biggest problem with the second unit still hasn’t been addressed. Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams can not be on the floor together at the same time. There is only one ball and it needs to move. When those two are on the floor, you can guarantee they’re going to get their shots up. Williams and Clarkson combined for 32 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the field. On paper, that doesn’t look so bad, but their sporadic shooting was a key part of the Bucks late-game comeback. One of them needs to be traded at the deadline, and my hope is that it’s Lou.
Luol Deng: It’s going to take some time for Luol Deng to get accustomed to playing with the Lakers first unit apparently. Since being moved to the bench, Deng has put up a total 10 points, including a goose egg tonight. Playing with Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams, he didn’t see the ball a ton, but when he got his shots up, they’re weren’t falling. He’s been an absolute pro about taking a smaller role, but he still has to contribute. Here’s to hoping next game is better.
The fourth quarter: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Lakers almost blew a huge lead. Usually, that comes in the third quarter, but the team decided to shake things up today and completely fell apart in the fourth quarter. After going into the fourth quarter with a 19-point lead, Los Angeles let the Bucks let trim to lead to six. Not ideal. Yes, they walked away with the win, but I think I speak for most fans when I say I didn’t need that kind of excitement in my life tonight.
The Lakers will have the rest of the weekend off before heading back home to face DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings. We’ll see you then!
