Nail-Biting Week for the Lakers

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After starting the season 0-2 with not so inspiring performances, the Los Angeles Lakers have begun to find their rhythm and sense of urgency with narrow wins over decent teams.

What began with a 121-118 victory over the highly-talented Memphis Grizzlies, the game overall showcased both team’s competitiveness, a resurging Carmelo Anthony, and the Lakers early concerns defending young and talented guards like Ja Morant. Morant in a valiant performance dropped an insane 40 points which would be later overshadowed by a missed game-tying free throw. Although the Lakers escaped with a win, Morant and the Grizzlies performance was an early sign of defensive lapses later to come.

Upon a narrow win versus the Grizzlies, the Lakers traveled to San Antonio to play Dejounte Murray and the Spurs. In that matchup, the Lakers were without LeBron James, who suffered an ankle injury versus Memphis. As a result, adding pressure for Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to step up. In the end, AD and Brodie dominated the Spurs leading the Lakers to a 125-121 overtime victory. As the defense concerns revolved around the Lakers lack of defensive rotations, miscommunication, and inability to defend the Spurs pick & roll offense as Murray and Poeltl finished with a combined 48 points.

Riding the momentum of a two-game win streak, the Lakers in a back-to-back played the Oklahoma City Thunder in a matchup between the oldest and the youngest team in the NBA. Losing 123-115, the Lakers in the first half looked to cruise to an easy win, however, in the third quarter, the momentum began to shift as the Thunder began to shoot red hot from the field slowly decreasing the Lakers lead. Ultimately following a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander basket, the Thunder did not look back capitalizing on open baskets, their pick and roll offense, and the game-tying threes to win the game.

Coming off possibly one of the franchises-worst mental lapses. The Lakers with a returning LeBron James took on the Clevland Cavaliers at the Staples Center Friday night. In that game, the Lakers began to show the same mental lapse versus they had at OKC against the Cavaliers. Constantly turning over the ball and allowing the Cavs to establish the three, second chances points, and open baskets. However, in the second half, the tide began the turn as James and Westbrook took over the game through fast break points and defense. Resulting in the Lakers controlling the game on the defensive end and dominating the Cavs by moving the ball for open three-point baskets and layups at the rim. Carmelo Anthony and Avery Bradley also led the way with their energy and offense helping the team cruise to a 113-101 win.

During this five-game stretch, the Lakers have been playing in too many close games and winning just by margins. An even though the team is 3-3, their record isn’t indicative of how the team truly is, as it is too early to judge whether the Lakers are contenders or pretenders. I will say heading into Sunday’s game versus a young and athletic Houston Rockets team, it will be compelling to see if the team continues their defensive intensity and win the game rather easily or in a dramatic fashion.