The Los Angeles Lakers fell to 0-5 in the preseason after losing to the Golden State Warriors, 111-99.
LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis finally played together for the first time, though it didn’t end the way L.A. would’ve liked. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green didn’t play for the Warriors.
Los Angeles jumped to a 32-24 lead after the first quarter because Golden State’s shooters couldn’t open the lid off the rim. However, the tide turned in the second quarter. Golden State chipped away at the deficit and trailed 55-53 at the midway point.
The Lakers had solid shooting numbers through the first 24 minutes, but it all collapsed from there. Shots stopped falling in the third, and Golden State once again shrugged off the cold shoulders and caught fire from deep.
Both teams emptied the bench for the final quarter, where the Warriors prevailed.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
First appearance for the Big 3 is out the way
It wasn’t smooth sailing, but the Lakers’ new Big 3 can now say they have on-court experience. Fortunately, the statistics don’t count, but there were flashes of what’s to come.
James went on a 6-0 run in the first quarter with some passes coming from Westbrook. Westbrook ended the second quarter on a solid note by scoring on both mid-range jumpers and at the rim. Davis put up a nice all-around outing but didn’t have his legs for both of his missed 3s.
There’s one preseason game remaining before everything counts, so L.A. must hope the trio builds off this.
Austin Reaves is everywhere
Austin Reaves had a rough start as a Laker dating to his summer league performances, specifically with shooting, but he is always making noticeable plays on both ends of the floor in the preseason.
He had 10 points, three assists, two steals and a block Tuesday night while making 2-of-4 3-pointers. The undrafted rookie is looking more confident each game, which will be key with several guards out for L.A.
Turnovers strike yet again
Turnovers have been a recurring theme so far, mostly for Westbrook. The 32-year-old guard turned it over five times Tuesday, and James coughed it up six. For James, most of the mistakes happened in the opening period.
The Lakers should’ve had a more convincing lead after three quarters given the personnel difference, but the Warriors had just 12 turnovers to Los Angeles’ 20. Golden State is a good enough team to make an opponent pay for giving them second chances, and that happened tonight despite Curry and Green resting.
Turnovers strike yet again
Turnovers have been a recurring theme so far, mostly for Westbrook. The 32-year-old guard turned it over five times Tuesday, and James coughed it up six. For James, most of the mistakes happened in the opening period.
The Lakers should’ve had a more convincing lead after three quarters given the personnel difference, but the Warriors had just 12 turnovers to Los Angeles’ 20. Golden State is a good enough team to make an opponent pay for giving them second chances, and that happened tonight despite Curry and Green resting.
Credit: USA Today
You must be logged in to post a comment.