What’s next for the Lakers?
After a three-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Lakers were a bit of a surprise in the first half of their game against the Golden State Warriors.
But with a win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers will head into the All-Star break with a solid record and a clear path to the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles is the Lakers’ best chance to get to the Finals since the 2006 NBA Playoffs.
But even with a better record, the NBA is trending toward more parity, with teams that have been in the postseason three years running now having a combined record of 59-32.
The Lakers are currently second to last in the Western Conference, but their record suggests they could be a very dangerous team in the East.
In the first quarter, the game was a lot different for the Warriors.
They outscored the Lakers 18-6, while the Lakers trailed by 12 points at the half.
In the second half, the Warriors were able to limit the damage to the Lakers by outscoring the Lakers 32-17 in the paint.
Los Angeles was the better team offensively throughout the first three quarters.
However, as the game wore on, things became more and more difficult for the Los Angels.
The Warriors shot an average of 36.8 percent from the field in the third quarter, a number that was not too far off the league average of 35.6 percent.
The Warriors also had an offensive rebounding percentage of just 23.9 percent.
Los Angelenos didn’t score a basket on their first 10 possessions, which were largely due to a lack of shooting from the Warriors’ bench.
Los Angels also did not score a point on their next eight possessions.
They shot 5-of-17 from the floor in the final period.
Los Lakers were able play their best basketball of the game in the fourth quarter.
After a few early turnovers by the Warriors, Los Angeles got back into the game and hit their first four three-pointers of the quarter.
However, their defense was not able to hold off the Warriors in the half as the Lakers shot a combined 22-of.7 from three-point range in the quarter, including 9-of.-10 from the line.
Los Angels only had nine turnovers in the game, which was the second-lowest percentage of turnovers for a third-quarter team.
However the Warriors shot 8-of-.7 on their turnovers, and their scoring was limited to four points in the period.
After the game it was clear that the Lakers were not playing to their potential, as their offense was not generating any shots and the Warriors defense was allowing them to score in bunches.
The game was not the only one where the Lakers had a tough time defending in the second quarter.
They also struggled defensively on offense in the early going.
Los Angelenos outscoring the Warriors 24-13 in the opening half were able a bit more with the ball.
Los Lagos went on a 21-8 run in the frame to open the second, but the Warriors came back with nine straight points to close the first period.
The game remained close for most of the second.
The second quarter was not a fun one to watch.
The Lakers shot 17-of, 16-of on 3s and 13-of , 13-point threes in the 3rd quarter, but they couldn’t get the offense going.
After halftime, the Golden Warriors led by 11 points and the Lakers led by seven in the closing minutes.
The Los Angeles crowd was extremely hostile and there was not much to cheer for the team after that.
The third quarter was even more of a battle as the Warriors made two consecutive 3-pointers to cut the lead to 10 with 7:05 left.
Los Gals went on to take the lead for good at the buzzer, as a free throw by the Lakers guard Devin Booker cut the Lakers lead to 21.
The second half was a bit much for the Golden Star’s, as they shot just 10-of in the span of three minutes.
Los Gals also struggled offensively in the latter part of the third and fourth quarters, as both teams shot just 37.3 percent from three in the quarters.
The loss of their star player, Harrison Barnes, had an immediate impact on the game.
Los gals had a field goal percentage of only 57.7 percent, which is very low for a team that has a winning record in three straight seasons.
The biggest issue for the club was that they didn’t have enough scoring.
They attempted 17 shots in the last quarter, and were able only to shoot 5-for-19 from the arc.
The team shot just 11-of .
Los Lakers have been the laughing stock of the league for much of the past year, but this is their chance to return to relevance with a playoff berth.
Los gals are the best team in their conference and the best offense in all of the NBA.
It is very unlikely that the Golden Lakers will