Lakers secure first win of the season.
The Lakers finally got their first win of the season in a complete all-around team win in their Sunday matchup against the Denver Nuggets, winning 121–110 to improve their record to 1–5.
On a night when they needed a win most, the Lakers' big trio delivered! “We got the monkey off our backs,” Anthony Davis described it, combining with LeBron and Russ for 67 points.
“Our fans were awesome tonight. I really wanted to give them something to be loud and proud about. Hopefully, we can string a few of these together and just keep growing and learning," said coach Darvin Ham.
The Lakers improved in almost all categories by limiting their turnovers from the last game (22 turnovers) to only eight and shooting a season-high 43.3% (13-for-30) from behind the arc.
The Lakers' recipe for success from three was the amount taken in their win on Sunday. They took the right shots based on what the Nuggets' defense gave them, shooting their season-low on attempted threes, which is not a bad thing.
“Tonight, we needed to prove something to ourselves, and I’m proud of how we responded,” added Ham.
In his second game coming off the bench, Russell Westbrook gave the team the boost they needed to help them get over the hump of their first win. Taking command of the second unit, Russ looked in control of the floor all night, with a huge sense of urgency and energy, while limiting the mistakes that have haunted him in the past.
“The way he’s handling everything is tremendous.” “The way he played tonight was unbelievable,” said Anthony Davis.
Westbrook finished with 18 points on 50% shooting (6-for-12), adding 8 assists and 8 rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench.
The concern surrounding Anthony Davis is always going to be his health, and toward the end of Sunday’s win, Davis showed pain in his back (soreness), telling coach Ham he wanted to stay in the game to finish it.
“I want him to be the AD we all know he can be. He showed it tonight. “Tenaciousness on defense, timely shot-making, and determination,” said Ham.
Davis finished with his third straight double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 55% from the floor on 10-of-18 total in 36 minutes.
LeBron was the Lakers’ leading scorer in Sunday’s win, finishing with 26 points on 10-for-22 shooting, adding 8 assists and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes.
Austin Reaves was another Laker who excelled in his role off the bench, giving the team high energy and tenacious effort on both ends, finishing with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, one block, and a steal.
The Lakers' next matchup remains at home this Wednesday, at the start of November, against the currently 4–2 New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30 PM on Spectrum SportsNet.
