Lakers continue success in win over Warriors.
LOS ANGELES — The new-look Lakers continued their momentum in their first game back from the All-Star break on Thursday, beating the Golden State Warriors 124–111 to improve their record to 28–32.
“Great win against a great ball club,” said head coach Darvin Ham. “Our guys slowly but surely are getting more and more familiar with one another.”
Malik Beasley was the Lakers' leading scorer, knocking down seven threes from deep on 11 attempts while finishing with 25 points, three rebounds, and three steals in 25 minutes.
The Lakers had eight players score in double figures, showcasing the unit's collective success as a whole.
Malik Beasley finished with 25 points; Austin Reaves finished with 17 points; Rui Hachimura finished with 14 points; LeBron James and Dennis Schröder finished with 13 points; Anthony Davis finished with 12 points; and Mo Bamba and Lonnie Walker IV finished with 10 points.
During the first quarter, D’Angelo Russell tweaked his right ankle after stepping on Donte DiVincenzo’s foot while inbounding the ball, twisting his ankle, and immediately falling to the floor in pain. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the contest.
It was reported that the Lakers took x-rays of Russell’s ankle midway through the game. The results came back negative, indicating that he won't undergo an MRI and will be listed as day-to-day until further results tomorrow.
Austin Reaves’ production from the bench came with a perfect performance, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, 4-for-4 from the free throw line, and 1-for-1 from three, finishing with 17 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals in just 18 minutes.
Despite shooting just 25% (5-for-20) from the field, LeBron impacted the Lakers in other ways, notching nine rebounds and eight assists to go with his 13 points while finishing the game with a plus/minus of +22.
Anthony Davis finished with his 28th double-double of the season, notching 12 points and 12 rebounds to go along with two blocks in 25 minutes of action.
The Lakers’ next matchup comes this Sunday on the road against the Dallas Mavericks at 12:30 p.m. on ABC.
