Los Angeles Lakers survive Orlando Magic comeback, 3 lessons
By Ronald Agers
The Los Angeles Lakers started their road trip in Florida taking on the Orlando Magic. No doubt about it, the game was all about runs until the Lakers finally put the game away. Lake Show Life breaks the game down with Lake Show Life Lessons!
The Los Angeles Lakers have still not lost a game outside of the city of Los Angeles. The Lakers are sitting on a road winning streak of 12 games after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night.
If the team survives this road trip without a loss, it will be time to start comparing this team to the 69 win Lakers back in the 71-72 season who won 16 straight. Oh, by the way, that team won the NBA Finals. The NBA season is close to two months old and the Lakers can’t lose outside of the state of California.
Well, the beat goes on for the Los Angeles Lakers playing one of their more stranger games in a 96-87 win over Orlando Magic at the Amway Center on Wednesday night. It’s only the 4th game this season the offense couldn’t get to 100 points. This victory shouldn’t be taken for granted. The Magic had owned the Lakers in recent years, winning 10 out of the last 11 games in Magic City.
To be clear here, this game was all about runs. The Lakers had a big run in the first quarter. No check that, the ENTIRE first quarter. Then the Magic exploded on the Lakers to tie the game at 71. Then LeBron James orchestrated a 10-0 run to keep Orlando at bay.
If you think it’s fun to be a Lakers fan now, wait until after the NFL season is over. With each passing game, the resentment around the league is growing. Lake Show Life pointed out the tension from opposing team’s announcers in the game against Utah when they criticized LeBron for celebrating.
Then the Minnesota game had the staff wondering if the Timberwolves announcers even watch Lakers games calling Alex Caruso “non-athletic”.
For the last six years, the Lakers were not hated or resented. It was just nobody cared. Now people care. The debates are no longer if the Lakers are good, but the authenticity of being a Lakers fan. You have to admit, this is funny.
Click on each picture. They actually have produced graphics.
The mystique of the Lakers is back on the level of other revered sports franchises like the New York Yankees (Baseball) and the Dallas Cowboys (Football). At 22-3 and counting, along with two of the top five players in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers will be the number one sports story leading up to June.
It’s games like these that certain rules apply to doing post-game reports. Never assume anything. After the first quarter, the Lakers were running Orlando out of the building accumulating a 26-9 lead. To put the defensive dominance in perspective, the Lakers shut out all of the Magic players not named Evan Fournier.
Then the Magic went on an extended 53-29 run over the next two quarters and somehow tied the game at 71. Then LeBron said enough was enough and the game was put out of reach.
The other shoe dropped for Anthony Davis coming off a 50 point demolition of Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves on a white-hot 20-of-29 shooting. His shooting percentage got lost with the luggage against the Magic.
AD scored just 16 points on 30% shooting from the field. This game belonged to LeBron James, but the supporting cast did their jobs to make up for an off night for Davis. More on them in a minute.
Lake Show Life has prided ourselves on calling it like it is no matter the circumstances record-wise in our Lake Show Life Lessons series. Even though the team owns the best record in the NBA, they have a glaring weakness that got the Orlando Magic back in the game.