Bench Production
Although the Lakers lost the game, their bench showcased their dominance once again. The Lakers’ bench outscored the Clippers’ bench 52-20. This is not the first time that the Lakers’ bench has displayed their ability to score as they average 40.5 points per game. Furthermore, this average is the fourth-best in the league.
The Lakers’ bench was led once again by Jordan Clarkson. JC scored a modest 17 points but did so at an extraordinary rate of 66.7 percent shooting from the floor. He also added eight rebounds and five assists. Julius Randle, on the other hand, struggled some with his shot as he shot just 2-for-5. He, did, however, finish the night with a double-digit scoring effort with 11 points.
The most important player on the Lakers’ bench, though, would have to be Kyle Kuzma. After starting 11 games and averaging 18.1 points per game, Kuzma was relegated back to his bench role with Nance Jr. returning.
Nevertheless, he exhibited his ability to play at a high level as he ended the game with 15 points, two rebounds, and three assists while shooting 71.4 percent from the floor. Moreover, he did all of that in only 20 minutes of action.
Unsurprisingly, no players on the Lakers’ bench had a negative plus-minus. As the season continues on, let’s hope the bench can keep up its strong play and pull out a few more wins for the team.