Lakers win 4th straight in team win over Hawks.
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers win it over the Hawks in a high-energy team win with five players scoring 18 or more points, beating Atlanta 130–114 to extend their win streak to four games and improve their season record to 18–21.
“It’s motivating them to step their games up. They know I’ll put anybody out there, and if they’re playing the right way, they’ll play a significant amount of minutes,” said head coach Darvin Ham on the teams' play without Anthony Davis.
The Lakers' shooting and production on the glass were the key factors in Friday’s win, shooting 46% (16–35) from three and 55% (51–91) overall while notching 51 total rebounds.
With multiple players missing from Friday’s victory, the Lakers entered the game again short-handed, this time without Austin Reaves (left hamstring strain) and Lonnie Walker IV (knee tendinitis), both of whom are out for at least two weeks, Troy Brown Jr., who was dealing with a cold; and still without all-star Anthony Davis with a right foot stress injury.
The Lakers' extension to a four-game win streak was thanks to a night that saw five players score in double figures.
LeBron finished the night with 25 points, dunking multiple times with ferocious slams, going 10-for-19 (52%) shooting from the floor, and adding 10 assists and 7 rebounds in 32 minutes.
“I feel really good, mentally as strong as I been this season, and the body gonna take its course,” said LeBron.
With his inconsistencies throughout the season after missing all of last season with a knee bruise, Kendrick Nunn showed glimpses of the player he was when he was on the Heat, scoring a season-high 23 points on 56% (9-for-16) shooting in 26 minutes played.
"Night and day," said Nunn, on how he feels now compared to how he felt at the start of the season. “Just trying to figure out spots on the floor, chemistry, and things like that. I’ve been watching a lot (from the bench), and opportunity knocks. I’m ready.”
After having a 32-point night in Wednesday’s win over the Heat, Dennis Schröder continued that production with a solid night for Los Angeles, scoring 21 points on 5-for-8 (62%) shooting from three while shooting 50% (7-for-14) overall from the field.
Thomas Bryant’s hustle and contagious energy have been the unspoken details in the Lakers' current four-game win streak, filling in perfectly in Anthony Davis’ role, notching 19 points on 66% (8-for-12) shooting while adding 13 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal in 27 minutes.
The sixth man of the year candidate, Russell Westbrook, provided a flawless outing for a shorthanded Lakers rotation, finishing the night one assist away from a triple-double with a stat line of 18 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 30 minutes.
“Guys go down unfortunately, we got a group of guys who been preparing themselves for when it’s their moment,” said Westbrook.
The Lakers will travel on the road for their second game of a back-to-back against the 20–17 Sacramento Kings on Saturday at 7:00 PM on Spectrum SportsNet.
