The Los Angeles Lakers had a strong Las Vegas Summer League opener, blowing out the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Los Angeles Lakers got their summer league scheduled off on a tough note. The Lakers participated in the inaugural California Classic, but things did not go well. Los Angeles went 0-3 there, losing to the Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors.
Luckily for the Lakers youngsters, that wasn’t their lasting performance in the summer league. The Lakers are also participating in the Las Vegas Summer League, where they will be defending their title from last year. Things got off to a much better start in Las Vegas.
The Lakers kicked things off against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers lost the night before to the Boston Celtics, 95-89. Their defense once again struggled against the Lakers, but their offense was nowhere near as efficient.
Los Angeles blew out Philadelphia on Saturday night, 96-79. The Lakers offense looked like a totally different monster in Las Vegas compared to what they showed in Sacramento. Against the 76ers, the Lakers lit it up from behind the 3-point line.
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Los Angeles shot 14-of-31 from distance, equaling out to an impressive 45.2 percent. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Moritz Wagner, Josh Hart and Nick King all shot at least 50 percent from the 3-point line against Philadelphia. Mykhailiuk and Hart each knocked down four, while Wagner and King had two apiece.
Hart was as dominant as you would hope a second-year player to be. He led the way with 24 points, adding two rebounds, three assists and plenty of advice to his teammates. Hart is very vocal while on the court, always talking to his teammates on both ends of the court and offering words of encouragement.
The Lakers starting lineup had a great night. Mykhailiuk, Hart, Wagner, Johnathan Williams and Alex Carso all finished with a positive plus/minus ratio. Mykhailiuk had the lowest among the starters at +11. Off the bench, Jeff Ayers and Xavier Rathan-Mayes had strong games.
The veteran Ayers was a late addition to the Lakers summer squad but could end up cracking the roster in training camp. The Lakers only have JaVale McGee and Ivica Zubac on the roster at center. If Ayers performs well in the summer league, he could receive a training camp invite if no other moves are made.
Rathan-Mayes spent last season with the Westchester Knicks in the G League before being signed by the Memphis Grizzlies later in the season. He has shown improved strength in his second year trying out for an NBA team.
Next: 5 Lakers To Watch During Summer League Play
This was a very encouraging performance from the Lakers after a rough showing in Sacramento. They will be back at it tomorrow, July 8th, when they face off with the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:30 pm ET/8:30 pm PT.