The Los Angeles Lakers renewed their old rivalry with the Boston Celtics in the Staples Center. However, this home game was different from the rest. For the first time all season, the Lakers allowed some fans in the arena to watch the game!
Doing NBA post-game reports is easily the hardest writing assignment. Just when you know the game is over…
(In our best ESPN 30 for 30 voice): What if I told you the Los Angeles Lakers were down 27 points to the Boston Celtics, brought in the players on the back of the bench and made a huge comeback scaring Boston fans half to death!
Yes Lakers fans, the Lakers were getting embarrassed in their own gym by Boston. Then the Lakers went on a 24-4 run to cut the lead to as low as five points. But then the Boston starters were inserted back in the game and Jaylen Brown finished off a 121-113 win.
The good from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss:
The Lakers bench kept this game from being a wire to wire blowout!
This was a 31-23 game after the first quarter. The reason why is because of the outstanding contributions of the bench. The Lake Show was off to a horrible start (More on that later!) but the second unit led by Talen Horton-Tucker’s 10 points got the Lakers back in the game by the end of the first 12 minutes.
https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1382887488079876099
Talen Horton-Tucker finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Speaking of the Lakers bench…
Montrezl Harrell is back doing what Montrezl Harrell does.
Harrell had been struggling as of late which included zero points performance against the New York Knicks. Maybe his “Juice” was still at his place in Los Angeles because he sure had it in this game. He outscored his point total from the last two games in the first half alone with 10 points.
He leads all NBA bench players in…
- Dunks.
- Second chance points.
- Points in the paint.
When he was on the floor, Trezl provided the energy that was missing in the last few games. He finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds (3 offensive!), 3 assists and a block.
Marc Gasol was balling Lakers fans!
The big Spaniard is playing inspired basketball folks. He was one of the bright spots (No check that…THE BRIGHT SPOT until the big comeback!) for the Los Angeles Lakers. Gasol has made it a point to show Frank Vogel that it would be a very bad idea to bury him at the back of the bench just to get Andre Drummond acclimated.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 16, 2021
Gasol finished with 18 points (7-10 shooting!), 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He was the best 3 point shooter as well (4-6).
The bad from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss:
The Los Angeles Lakers had a terrible start!
- The Lakers fell behind 14-2 before the National Anthem was finished.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had two fouls before he broke a sweat
- Jaylen Brown was on fire.
- With about two minutes left in the first quarter, Tristan Thompson had five rebounds matching the Lakers team total!
- In short, the short handed Lakers started in the worst possible situation possible…FROM BEHIND!
Lord please make the injuries stop!!!!
Andre Drummond sat out the game for his toe injury and Markieff Morris was out for the ankle injury suffered in the Charlotte game. Dennis Schroder was reported with having a right foot infection. Add this to his tailbone injury suffered in the Brooklyn game, the Menace these days is the injury report.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was playing the game with back spasms and Marc Gasol looked like he dislocated his finger on his left hand.
If LeBron James want to do a remake of Space Jam in movie theaters, why not try doing a Netflix reboot of M.A.S.H.? In the Lakers case it could considered a reality show.
In all seriousness, the Lake Show Life staff would love to cover a healthy Los Angeles Lakers team.
Jaylen Brown…Oh that’s it!
Jaylen Brown sent a limousine for the Los Angeles Lakers. Why? He wanted them to get there safe so he could get his numbers and he got plenty of them.
Bottom line, he destroyed the Lakers. He had 21 points by halftime on 9-10 shooting and he didn’t slow down in the second half. He finished with 40 points on 17-20 shooting. One of the two shots he missed in the second half was a half court heave at the end of the third quarter.
The story from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss:
Frank Vogel has some decisions to make at the center spot.
Look it’s understood that Andre Drummond was going to be the starter before he signed his contract, but with his struggles as of late and Gasol’s resurgence Frank Vogel might be in the spotlight on how the minutes are divided up. Gasol is playing too well these days for just mop up duty.
Over the last seven game road trip, Gasol’s 97.0 defensive rating was best on the team. His averages of 8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in about 20 minutes while shooting 60 percent from distance is impressive. This game here only makes Gasol’s argument stronger.
With Drummond admittedly saying he’s playing the worst offensive stretch of his career, this center position will be very interesting to watch the rest of the season.
The fans are back!
Whether the Los Angeles Lakers won or lost this game, the Lakers Nation come out winners along with the NBA. It’s possible that you the reader have heard broadcasters all season long say that you are missed in the arenas. To be clear here…THEY WERE NOT LYING!
You the Lakers fan make Lakers basketball an experience. You are the main ingredient to the Showtime Lakers, the Kobe/Shaq three-peat Lakers and the current LeBron/AD champions that is current today. When LeBron James say that the energy is needed from the fanbase, it’s just true. It’s not just the players, it’s the broadcasts, the writers (This one included!) that feed on the passion of Lakers Nation.
But we need to keep the ball rolling and continue to be responsible by wearing the masks, practice social distancing and following the guidelines put out for all of us to use. We are not done until the Staples Center is at full capacity.
Anthony Davis is cleared for on court activity!
First fans are let back in the Staples Center and now this. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, AD has been cleared for on court activity. His return in still in question.
"Frank Vogel says Anthony Davis has been cleared for full on-court activity. He says it’s “unlikely” AD plays in the two upcoming Utah games on Saturday and Monday but “not out of the question.”"
The dark clouds are clearing out of Lakers Nation!
The NBA says goodbye to LaMarcus Aldridge:
In a shocking turn of events earlier today, LaMarcus Aldridge had to retire from the NBA due to an irregular heartbeat. Coincidentally, his last game was last Saturday in the Lakers win over the Brooklyn Nets. He finished with 12 points on 5-8 shooting.
- Los Angeles Lakers shock the Nets and gain a timeframe on stars’ return
- Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons from a total Brooklyn beatdown!
In a season where stars have faced injuries, COVID-19 scenarios and just plain fatigue from the quick turnaround from the season, this really hurts. Aldridge was a perennial All-Star and for a few seasons, was considered one of the best power forwards in the NBA. He was wanted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the big free agent market back around 2016.
Lake Show Life dedicates this post game and the upcoming Lake Show Life Lessons piece to LaMarcus Aldridge celebrating his career and hoping he has a long enjoyable life in his retirement.
Here’s to LaMarcus Aldridge.