The Los Angeles Lakers wanted to add to their winning streak coming out of the All-Star break against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The good thing for Lakers fans is that the Lake Show has a 17-3 record against under .500 teams this year which is the best in the NBA. The bad? Man, they struggle against bad teams in the Staples Center. Something had to give in the Lakers’ second game of a back-to-back.
This was a “defense optional” game for the Los Angeles Lakers as they finished out the first of their two back-to-back games of the week against the worst team in the NBA in the Minnesota Timberwolves. LeBron James showed up fashionably late to direct a Lakers offense that picked on the NBA’s worst defense in a 137-121 win.
With the win, the Lake Show is still undefeated (3-0) since the All-Star break. The team keeps pace with the contenders at 27-13, and play the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
The good from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win:
Damian Jones came out on fire!!!!
Damian Jones is in the middle of his second 10-day contract. After this contract ends the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to make a decision on if they want to sign him for the rest of the season. With all of the rumors surrounding Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside and DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Jones is making his own statement on what he can contribute to the Lakers frontline.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 17, 2021
Jones had 6 points and 2 rebounds in his first six minutes of action. Lake Show Life readers have been flooding the site with questions why Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee were let go for Marc Gasol, but if Damian keeps playing like this, the questions may start going away a little. He played well but foul troubles slowed down his contributions. He finished with 8 points and 3 rebounds in 15 minutes.
The Los Angeles Lakers were aggressive attacking the basket early!
If it seemed like the first quarter lasted almost an hour, it was because the Lakers spent half of it at the free-throw line. They got to the line 12 times and hit 9 of them. The tone was set early by the aforementioned Damian Jones and when Talen Horton-Tucker hit the floor, the attacks on the rim only increased. By halftime, the Lake Show had 19 free throws. What’s even more exciting if you are a Lakers fan, they were hitting them too. They dropped 16 of them before intermission.
If the Los Angeles Lakers can put on a performance of 24-28 from the free throw line, the NBA should be put on notice.
Talen Horton-Tucker is getting better and better each game!
THT is getting rave reviews from LeBron James and the coaching staff. lake Show Life is here to say that this is not a media spin.
Let’s relive LeBron’s quote after last night’s game…
"“He’s a sponge. When you talk to him, you can tell it’s getting stored and he applies it on the floor. This is basically his rookie season, he’s going to learn from his mistakes and we’re okay with that.”"
The Los Angeles Lakers fans should be okay with it too. This play alone shows how hard Talen Horton-Tucker is working in the film room.
https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1372041397142917127
Talen Horton-Tucker finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. This game showed that his playmaking is starting to come along quite nicely.
The bad from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win:
The Lakers flat out did not stop Anthony Edwards!
The number one pick in the NBA Draft was handing out business cards to various members of the Los Angeles Lakers. In the first half, he was aggressive gashing the Lakers’ interior defense for layups. In the second half, he took his scoring brigade behind the arc.
Don't let Ant get hot...@theantedwards_ bursts into the second half with two straight 3-pointers! 😱#RaisedByWolves pic.twitter.com/GnkZH1mR3F
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) March 17, 2021
The “Ant Man” finished with 29 points.
The Los Angeles Lakers did not stop Karl Anthony Towns!
With Damian Jones being in foul trouble, Karl Anthony Towns started to make his presence felt down low against the Lakers. He went over the 20 point plateau in less than three quarters. When the Lakers blew out Minnesota in the last matchup, KAT was a non-factor. This was not the case in this one. Towns also finished with 29 points.
The story from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win:
LeBron James! What else is new?
LeBron was not aggressive in the first half just attempting three shots (Oh he hit them all!) but in the second half, he turned it on. He looked for his offense in the third quarter attempting seven shots and in the fourth quarter, he set up his teammates perfectly even collecting 4 assists in four straight possessions. He finished with yet ANOTHER triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
Oh, by the way, he is part of the Boston Red Sox ownership group! He might not be the greatest player of all time, but he might have the greatest financial portfolio when he retires.
The Los Angeles Lakers bench. Oh that’s it!
The Lakers bench mob outscored the Wolves 68-32. The combination of Talen Horton-Tucker, Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma are becoming the Los Angeles Lakers’ big weapon these days. They are not just outperforming opposing team’s benches, they are rolling over them!
Lake Show Life’s more in-depth breakdowns will come in Lake Show Life Lessons tomorrow. Keep it locked for the only Los Angeles Lakers post-game report with highlights and in-depth analysis.