Behind Gasol, Lakers Run Away From Warriors 102-95
By Blair Hicks
Pau Gasol should donate money to charity every game! Before the contest against the Golden State Warriors, Gasol announced that he would donate $1,000 dollars for every point he scored to a typhoon relief effort for the Phillipines.
Nov 22, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers small forward Nick Young reacts during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
The Lakers beat the Warriors comfortably 102-95 at Staples Center. Gasol had his best game of the season scoring 24 points on 11 for 19 shooting. He also had 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
The high powered Warriors got beaten by the feisty Lakers team. You can diss the Lakers’ talent on paper, but they play hard and together, they consistently get good looks and they move the ball well. They may not have big name talent but they have depth.
The Warriors were without Stephen Curry, who is still suffering the effects of a concussion. The inability to organize their offense in Curry’s absence has been noticeable for the Warriors.
Jarret Jack has been clearly missed.
Andre Iguodala did his best to facilitate the offense but constant ball pressure threw him off his game. He finished with just 6 points and 6 turnovers. Klay Thompson had 19 points on a inefficient 6 for 20 from the field. David Lee chipped in 21 points and 12 rebounds. Harrison Barnes dropped 20 points.
The Lakers finally had a good shooting night with 47.6% from the field and 45.8% from three. The constant theme over the first 12 games had been the Lakers’ inability to convert good looks inside the arc. On the season they were shooting 43.7% from inside the three point line, or 27th in the league.
Jordan Farmar excelled with 14 points and 8 assists and no turnovers. Nick Young continued his stellar play off the bench with 21 points. Remarkably, he had two steals and showed grit on the defensive end.
He’s a keeper.
Not since a young Kobe Bryant first cut his teeth on the NBA stage in the mid 90’s have the Lakers had a bench scorer supreme.
The Lakers bench continued its exceptional play contributing 44 points. As the leading bench unit in the NBA, they continue to extend leads and put forth strong defensive efforts. Xavier Henry and Shawne Williams played well in ways not shown in the box score.
Gasol started out strong in the 1st quarter, scoring 10 points and leading the Lakers to a 22-21 lead after one quarter. In the second, Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake dominated the Warriors with their passing and scoring combining for 13 points and 4 assists. The Lakers lead at the half, 55-46. Farmar continued his strong play in the third and Lakers began to pull away, leading 75-63 after 3 quarters. Nick Young scored 14 points in the second half and the Lakers were never seriously challenged in the fourth.
The big question is when will Kobe Bryant play and how will that affect the team. The Lakers clearly have playoff aspirations and the return of Bryant should only bolster that claim. They play on Sunday at home against the Sacramento Kings.