1.) Back-to-back wins against Bucks and Clippers
These two games were projected to be one of the toughest parts of the Los Angeles Lakers’ schedule. Back to back games against the two other teams who many have pegged as favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
For the first part of this doubleheader of games, the Lakers would have to go up against the Milwaukee Bucks who had the best record in the league and the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. But the Lakers were firmly in the driver’s seat for the entirety of the game, and a late-game spin-move into a thunderous jam by LeBron James put the game on ice for good.
LeBron ended up with a cool 37/8/8, and Anthony Davis chipped in with 30 points and 9 rebounds on the way to a convincing 113-103 victory. The next challenge would be the Los Angeles Clippers.
After losses against the Clippers on opening night and Christmas day, the team was eager to prove their status as a true championship contender, and they did just that in their third matchup of the season. This was a hard-fought, back and forth game from the opening tip, and was one of the few games of the season that truly had a playoff atmosphere.
However, LeBron James once again showed why he’s the best player in the league, as he made play after play down the stretch of this game, including a 3-point play with 40 seconds left to put the game away for good. This was one of the more complete games by the Lakers squad as the team got important contributions from the role players, such as Avery Bradley who made a huge three to extend the Lakers lead to nine with four minutes remaining.
These two victories were huge for the Lakers as the team was just starting to click heading into the playoffs. They convincingly beat two teams who were considered heavy favorites to win the championship, and the team’s chemistry was at an all-time high.
Hopefully, once we get back to NBA basketball, the Lakers can maintain this level of intensity and play, because if this is the kind of Lakers team we’ll be seeing when the season returns, then the rest of the league is in for a world of trouble.