Lakers player grades: LeBron James, L.A. crumble in clutch time in loss to Warriors
The Los Angeles Lakers Saturday lost to the Golden State Warriors, 117-115.
This game looked like it would end in another blowout loss for L.A. after Golden State took a 14-point lead. The Lakers didn’t have much going for them on either end of the floor, but the momentum started to shift in the latter half of the second quarter.
Los Angeles eventually came back and took the lead, which resulted in an entertaining back-and-forth fourth quarter. Klay Thompson erupted and dropped 16 of his 33 points in that period while Austin Reaves also made big-time plays.
However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis couldn’t make the plays necessary to close out the game despite having the lead.
Here is how the Lakers, now 26-31 on the season, graded individually from the loss:
Russell Westbrook: B-minus
All season long, Russell Westbrook’s main goal was adjusting his game to fit LeBron and Davis. Though his overall defense continues to be a head-scratcher, he attacked the rim for his shots and didn’t settle for jumpers. He looked to get the ball to the key scorers and though it wasn’t perfect, the Lakers would like to see this version of him more. He finished with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal on the night.
Avery Bradley got the start to defend Stephen Curry. Curry finished the game with a 1-of-8 clip, and Bradley’s on-ball defense definitely put pressure on the Warriors star, even if Curry got his way at times. Bradley also hit 2-of-3 shots from deep.
LeBron James: D
LeBron James finished the game with 26 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but that does not tell the full story. He shot 9-of-27 overall, 3-of-10 from deep and 5-of-9 from the charity stripe, including a costly miss in the final seconds that could’ve forced overtime. James missed countless shots he normally makes and made head-scratching turnovers off his passes. James is allowed to make mistakes with everything he has done this season, but on a night where he became the all-time leading scorer counting playoffs, this performance doesn’t do that justice. He just didn’t seem to want it enough.
Stanley Johnson played 16 minutes, but that mostly stemmed from the first half. The Lakers needed more spacing against the Warriors and went with Trevor Ariza in small-ball lineups.
Anthony Davis: F
In 35 minutes, Davis posted 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks. He shot 5-of-13 overall and 6-of-10 from the charity stripe, but he played with no sense of urgency. The Warriors stuck with small-ball lineups even when Davis was on the court, but he didn’t seek to take advantage of those opportunities and settled for jumpers. A more enthusiastic game from him and the Lakers could’ve left Chase Center with a dub.
Talen Horton-Tucker: A-plus
With the weight of the trade deadline off his shoulders, Talen Horton-Tucker balled on both ends of the floor. He should’ve closed the final minutes, but his emergence was the reason this game got close in the first place. He finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block on 5-of-9 shooting overall and 3-of-5 from deep. He was aggressive on offense and used his length on defense, both traits the Lakers need to see more.
Austin Reaves: A-plus
Austin Reaves was another great story off the bench. He scored 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting with three rebounds, two assists and two blocks, including an absurd chase down on Thompson. He should’ve played more than 23 minutes as the comeback wouldn’t have been possible without his efforts.
Malik Monk: B-minus
Malik Monk came off the bench because of defensive purposes and still supplied a reliable punch on offense. In just 20 minutes, he scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, but his 3-ball was off (1-of-4).
Trevor Ariza: C
Trevor Ariza rounded out the nine-man rotation, and his best minutes came with LeBron, Reaves, Horton-Tucker and Monk on the court. His lateral quickness cost him more minutes, but he had a solid 16 minutes off the bench during the comeback.
1
1
