In their first game in China for the preseason, the Los Angeles Lakers were beaten by the Brooklyn Nets.
Despite a lot of speculation that this game might have been canceled, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets ended up playing in China.
For the Nets, things did not go well at the start. Kyrie Irving was hit in the face early and left the game in noticeable pain. Irving was wearing the mask to protect his facial fracture, but it was clear that he was in pain right away. Shortly after, Caris LeVert left the game early with an injury as well.
Despite the injuries to two of their best players, the Nets did end up winning this game. For the Lakers, there were a lot of positives despite the team losing.
In the loss, the stars for the Lakers did play quite well. LeBron James was able to total 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field in 25 minutes. Anthony Davis looked good as well, as he totaled 16 points on 4-for-10 shooting.
With a smaller man guarding him most of the game, Davis was able to create a lot of problem for the Nets in the halfcourt. While Davis might have only had four field goals, he did go 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. Also, he was able to display his passing ability out of the post with five assists.
In addition to James and Davis playing well, arguably the best offensive player for the Lakers was Rajon Rondo. While getting a chance to start today, Rondo totaled 18 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
One of the big concerns with Rondo’s play this season will be his defense and shooting. While the defense was so-so from the starting unit altogether, Rondo did go 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. That type of floor spacing will be critical for Rondo if he wants to play big minutes this season.
The centers for the Lakers also did well against the smaller Nets, as Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee were both impressive. Off the bench, McGee put up some ridiculous numbers, as he totaled 10 rebounds and five blocks. Howard played well with the starters as well, as he totaled eight rebounds with one block. No matter who ends up winning the starting spot for the Lakers, the team will be in good position it appears with those two moving forward.
As expected, the Lakers didn’t push James, Davis or anyone else to try and get this win. Frank Vogel called it a day for James and Davis in the third quarter, and when they left, the Lakers were in the lead.
Despite playing with a lot of bench and G-League players to close out the game, the Lakers did make it competitive and nearly pulled it out. The next scheduled game for the Lakers will be in China on Saturday morning. However, with tensions rising once again, be sure to monitor if the game is indeed played.