South Bay Lakers trounce the Texas Legends in biggest win in franchise history

What a prolific night for the South Bay Lakers (23-14) as they scored 155 in a route over the Texas Legends (22-16).

The South Bay Lakers go into the All-Star break in first place in the Pacific Division after beating the Texas Legends on Monday night 155-114. The franchises biggest win ever!

The newly acquired Channing Frye sat courtside.

Frye was not only watching his former Arizona Wildcat teammate South Bay Lakers assistant coach Isaiah Fox coach, but he was also cheering on his fellow Lakers Thomas Bryant, Alex Caruso, and Payton II. “It’s good to see Channing, you know Isiah Fox our assistant went to school with him, so he was giving him some Raz, it’s good to have him,” said Head Coach Coby Karl.

After the Lakers fell to the Dallas Mavericks, their G League Affiliate Texas Legends came to Los Angeles to take on the South Bay Lakers. The Lakers trail in the series 14-18, this was the 33rd time the two teams matched up.

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The most the South Bay Lakers have scored this season until this week was148 points in a double-overtime game. Against the Legends, South Bay put up 155 points and won by a franchise-best 41-points. Since the G League Showcase, the Lakers have been dominating at home.

Points were not the only season-best stats posted by South Bay:

• Points (155)
• Rebounds (60)
• Assists (38)
• Blocks (11)
• Bench points (68)
• Points in the paint (82)
• Fast break points (51)
• South Bay’s 41-point win bested their previous team record of 40 points that was set on January 30, 2012, in a 127-87 victory over the Canton Charge according to the Lakers Noah Camarena.

Scott Machado followed up his triple-double and double-double performance with another double-double. He earned the postgame interview with Spectrum, “We knew that we had to come out and play hard, playing back-to-back,” said Machado, “And we knew the Texas Legends just beat Santa Cruz, and we just lost to them in overtime. So we knew we needed the energy and we just had to bring it.”

The South Bay Lakers racked up the stats against the Legends. Before Monday night, the team ranks third in the G League in three-point percentage (37.6 percent), field goal percentage (47.8 percent), and assists per game (25.3).

Highlights:

• South Bay was up 87-60 at the half!
• Thomas Bryant scored the most exciting points you will ever see (Dunk, three, dunk, dunk, etc.) He made seven out of ten shots.
• Travis Wear hit seven of ten threes.
• 32 fast break points vs. eight for the Legends in the first half.
• Alex Caruso got his one-handed slam in the third quarter.
• The Lakers scored 122 by the end of the third quarter; the biggest lead was 52 points.
• South Bay ended the game with 51 fast break points.
• Seven Lakers in double figures including two players earning double-doubles and a total of 11 blocked shots:
  • Travis Wear (in only 23:32 minutes) team-high 26 points, seven rebounds
  • Demarcus Holland scored a career-high 25 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals and assists (DOUBLE-DOUBLE)
  • Alex Caruso scored 22 points, two blocked shots, five assists and six defensive rebounds
  • Gary Payton II scored 21 points six rebounds and five assists
  • Thomas Bryant scored 17 points, four blocked shots, five rebounds and three assists
  • Scott Machado scored 11 points, 16 assists, four rebounds (DOUBLE-DOUBLE)
  • Blocked shots: Stephaun Branch (1) and Michael Holyfield (2)

Thomas Bryant has been flipping from the Lakers to the South Bay Lakers and all over the country, but is he tired? “Extremely to say the least. But for me, the grind never stops, you know I love playing the game of basketball. I take every advantage I can to get better each and every day,” explained the big, big man.

“The best thing that coach tells us to just be aggressive, we wanted to finish this game out strong because we have a nice little break coming up for us,” said Bryant, “We just wanted to finish strong because we got that “L” up there in Santa Cruz.”

As for Lakers play time and Luke talking to him about it, “Nah, they haven’t said anything, just being patient, just being on the grind still I know my time will come. I don’t know when but I know it will come,” said Bryant. He went on to explain if he brings Lakers tips to the South Bay Lakers, “Yeah, I bring some of it down, but I also just go about what Coby wants, and he does a great job as head coach.” Bryant loves playing with Alex Caruso, “It’s so fun, it’s so fun.”

Video Highlights:

Bryant was just recalled by the Lakers with Payton II for their upcoming two-game road trip. No rest yet for these two.

We asked Coach Coby Karl after the game if he wanted the team to share the stats love for the reason he pulled Wear earlier in the game. “To be honest I thought a little about it,” said Karl, “Travis played so well he kind of got his stats — he played well enough in the limited minutes he played that he did a great job. The way I was looking at it with our staff, let’s not risk injury especially with Travis playing for team USA,”

Oh yeah! News! Travis Wear is going to play with Team USA. He was chosen to attend the February USA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team training camp. Wear also landed a spot on the G League All-Star team.

Coach Karl wishes the rest of his team a safe All-Star break:

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Time for the NBA All-Star break. Next, the South Bay Lakers take on the Agua Caliente Clippers in Ontario on February 22nd at 7:00 from the Citizens Business Bank Arena. It will be the third matchup this season between the two teams. The series is tied 1-1.