Lake Show Life
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Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Lessons in elimination of the Portland Trail Blazers

By Ronald Agers

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

The Los Angeles Lakers made it past the Portland Trail Blazers.

A Los Angeles Lakers fanbase named Lakers Nation waited 8 years for this. A playoff series win. The first since Kobe Bryant was the leader of the Lakers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed why they are the most lethal duo in the NBA. Lake Show Life closes up this first-round series with Lake Show Life Lessons.

To all of the Los Angeles Lakers fans, Lake Show Life has some advice for you and we hope you take it. Sit back, enjoy this moment and know that the feeling was well earned.

The Los Angeles Lakers won their first NBA playoff series since Kobe Bryant led them to a victory over the Denver Nuggets back in 2012. Smile, watch the OKC Thunder/Houston Rockets series and just take notes to discuss to Lake Show Life.

Oh and be thankful Charles Barkley’s prediction that the Lakers winning this game didn’t come back to bite them in the end. See Chuck is in a very bad slump these days when it comes to predictions. In Chapter 20,117,485 of 2020’s ongoing saga called “Life comes at you fast”, Barkley’s predictions about the Portland Trail Blazers winning the series went from this.

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1295934631380844545

To this in less than two weeks.

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1299920518796251138

After a small blip in Game 1, the Los Angeles Lakers sounded the alarm on the Cinderella Portland Trail Blazers improbable run, stamping their ticket to the Western Conference semifinals with a  131-122 Game 5 victory last night.

Look, there was no way the Portland Trail Blazers were going to beat the Lakers with no Damian Lillard and only 9 players suiting up. When Hassan Whiteside dislocated his finger early in the game, it just wasn’t going to happen.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis did what Lake Show Life challenged them to do since they arrived in Orlando. DOMINATE! From Game 2 on, they did just that. Let’s go through the historical achievements of these two players in the finale.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis:

  • Became the first Los Angeles Lakers teammates to both score 30 points in the same playoff game since Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.
  • Became the first Lakers teammates to score 35+ points in the same playoff game since Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in June 2002.
  • They became the first teammates to both score 30+ points while shooting 70% from the field since 1995.      
  • LeBron James finished with his 13th career 30 point triple-double. 
  • Anthony Davis set a playoff-high in scoring (More on that in a minute!)

There’s even a hidden blessing in playing a game this close. If this game had ended as a beatdown like their last two wins, Frank Vogel (Or Lake Show Life!) would not be able to warn the team and its fans that there are glaring weaknesses that have to be cleared up for round two. They aren’t new.

  • The Lakers guards are still subject to allowing guards to get into the lane with dribble penetration.
  • The 3 point defense still stinks at times. The Trail Blazers shot 13-27 from the land of the extra point (48.1%).
  • What’s worse? The team is vulnerable to allow opposing players to go crazy and light them up on the scoreboard. In this game, they allowed two.
  • At times, this team believes in flipping switches defensively in games allowing teams to hang around. The game was tied at 109 with about 7 minutes in the 4th quarter.

But it’s a whole lot easier to point out weaknesses when you have a few days to wait for your second-round opponent. As of this writing, the Houston Rockets lead the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-2 in their first-round series.

To the new Los Angeles Lakers fans that are checking us out for the first time, welcome to Lake Show Life Lessons. An extended post-game report with video analysis.

 Over the next several pages we will provide highlights of certain players and coaches. Afterward, the comment section is loaded with knowledgeable fans adding their basketball knowledge. We usually start with the stars.

Let’s get to Lesson One!

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