Lakers team efforts help surge past Spurs.
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers bounced back in a second-half effort to beat the Spurs 113–104, welcoming back Anthony Davis and newly acquired Rui Hachimura in their efforts to improve their record to 23–26.
The Lakers' defense took an immediate positive turn with Anthony Davis back in the lineup, tying a season-high with 12 steals and notching 9 blocks in their win.
Anthony Davis was welcomed back with crowd-roaring moments in his return, finishing the night with four blocks, an aspect the Lakers' defense has missed in his absence.
“I thought he looked good,” said head coach Darvin Ham. “He takes so much pressure off us defensively and offensively.”
Davis finished with a team-high 21 points and 12 rebounds, knocking down 46% of his shots on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor, including a straightaway three for his first bucket of the game.
“Foot is fine, ankle is fine, body feels good,” said Anthony Davis on his health status.
Rui Hachimura, acquired via trade, has brought excitement to the Lakers that they haven't had in a long time. Hachimura can be one of those players who can change their season by making them a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
Hachimura instantly gave the Lakers an immediate impact, showing instances of on-ball defense, rebounding aggressively, and giving defenders iso ball buckets, scoring 12 points and adding 6 rebounds with a plus/minus of +17.
“I loved the energy out there,” said Rui Hachimura. “Defensively, we were really good today.”
After knocking down his first three of the game, LeBron James moved up to pass Jamal Crawford for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time list of threes made. He needs 61 more three-pointers to move up to the eighth spot.
LeBron finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, finishing the night with 20 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds in 36 minutes.
The Lakers will start their five-game road trip this Saturday against their historic rival Boston Celtics at 5:30 PM on ABC.
