Fun has been hard to come by for the Los Angeles Lakers. Much of this season has felt like an early Monday morning after a vacation. Things have dragged and the rhythm you need to overcome the slog just keeps escaping you. Finally, they got a win that didn’t require them to go to the brink.
After a four-day layoff, the Laker got that Boston Celtics ass with a 117-102 win at home. Their defensive effort and combination of stardom was too much for their rivals. The Lakers held the Celtics at bay with a 30-point third quarter, a 180 from their early-season trend of sleep-walking to start the second half.
How did they win? LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. That’s it, that’s the sentence.
If there ever was tape to show fans the vision of how the two future hall-of-famers work, this was the game. James had 30 points, his fourth 30-point performance in the last five games. He was noticeably more active on both ends. He got to the rim like his old self. This was after he spoke candidly about his defensive effort in Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers (via Dan Woike of the LA Times).
LeBron on his defense tonight – "I was pretty shitty."
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) December 4, 2021
Russ dropped 24 points, including a 15-point third quarter that gave them enough distance heading into the fourth quarter. He also added 11 assists on the night. His level of comfort continues to get better and better. The moment of the night was Russ getting Crypto.com Arena rocking with a thunderous slam.
Mr. Westbrook is in the building 😤 pic.twitter.com/jXTunSAf3t
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 8, 2021
It’s always great to see the team enjoying a victory and kicking their feet up in the process.
The Lakers are preparing for a few favorable games over the next two weeks. They take on the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Orlando Magic in their next four contests. The Thunder may be still holding onto the Lakers’ number, so it will be one to watch. Currently, the Lakers sit at 6th place in the Western Conference and could find themselves as high as 4th with a few wins and a little help.
Who would’ve guessed that despite the rough start, the Lakers could still make some haste. It’d probably be the players themselves. For now, they get to take in this fun one and look to keep building on a journey to bounce back.
