Cam Reddish, Austin Reaves, and 3 Lakers in Double Figure Survive Kevin Durant’s Wrath – 3 Key Takeaways From 1st In-season Tournament Victory

The Los Angeles Lakers have bounced back tonight after a three-game losing streak. Playing against the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers have amassed a 122-119 win at the Footprint Center. Although Bradley Beal and Devin Booker were out, Kevin Durant put up a great defense, and the Lakers had to crawl to score in the first quarter.

Apart from looking at a different and modified lineup, there are a couple more insights that the Lakers can take into account. The single-handed gameplay exhibited by the Slim Reaper did make the franchise get on its feet for the next two weeks. Let’s have a look at the crucial takeaways from tonight’s game.

1. LeBron James needs more help

With approaching Father Time, it’s becoming far more difficult for the star forward to throw in buckets and dimes. The 38-year-old will turn a year older this December, and with that, the aging ankles might take a toll on the overall score of the franchise. LeBron James suffered an injury scare in the first unit just after scoring 5 points. With still 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter, James went limping to the bench, only to return and keep the franchise afloat. Along with that, the injury-prone Antony Davis is not the best bet for the Lakers. With injury scare speculations prior to the lineup, AD somehow got on the list and showcased a decent performance tonight.

2. A realistic trade of Zach LaVine

While managing the two-man game between LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers need a third superstar. The franchise has constantly suffered because, apart from these two lead players, the entire roster falls short of handling the game. Although Austin Reaves was placed on that pedestal, post-game he has long stepped down that bar. After the 2020 mention of joining the team, Zach LaVine might get a decent contract if he plans to join the franchise in this dire moment. However, paying the $36.6 million salary is far beyond the reach of Lob City. So, in such a situation, it’s high time that the players set the record straight and gather the courage to go wild on the 3-pointers. Even head coach Ham has acknowledged how the Lakers are the first club to make fewer 3s and shoot a worse percentage from the 3 than their opponent.

3. Lakers need to buckle down on line-up rotation

Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers witnessed a rather shocking lineup change before facing the Phoenix Suns. Austin Reaves was coming off the bench tonight, while Cam Reddish was moved to the starting lineup. What’s astonishing is that Reddish and Reaves performed a lot better with the changed lineup, keeping the team afloat apart from King James. By the end of the fourth quarter, Austin Reaves stood out with a 15-point score, 1 rebound, and 7 assists in his 35 minutes on the court. And Reddish amassed 17 points and 3 rebounds in his 28 minutes on the hardwood. Well, with a minute restriction on James, the two-second unit pillars can offer great strength to the franchise.

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The showtime Lakers are up against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, November 12th. Will they contribute to yet another losing streak or sweep the game instead? Another question that still remains is whether LeBron James and Anthony Davis can be out in the next game or not. Since Davis suffered an injury scare yesterday, following up with James’ limping today, it’s high time that the roster gets on talking with another skilled ball-handler.

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Do you think the Lakers crawled to win this game in the final quarter? Let us know what you feel about tonight’s game.