Lakers finally back to .500
LOS ANGELES >> For the first time this season, the Lakers have won as many games as they’ve lost.
That doesn’t seem like much of an achievement — and they’re certainly in the hunt for far greater ambitions. But considering a 2-10 start, a roster that often felt on the road to nowhere, weathering a handful of key injuries, the journey simply to mediocrity has been epic.
And indeed, on Friday night, in a tooth-andnail game, the win that finally clinched a .500 record (37-37) was epic on a 48-minute scale, featuring a relentlessly aggressive 37-point, 15-rebound performance by Anthony Davis and a whole lot of grit in a 116-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder (36-38).
Making a start for D’angelo Russell (who sat out with right hip soreness), Dennis Schröder (21 points, 6 assists) had critical buckets in the fourth quarter, none bigger than a midrange jumper to put the Lakers up by 5 1/2 minutes left. Lonnie Walker IV, who had been a healthy scratch in three straight games, exploded off the bench for 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting — his highest scoring total in a month.
Even in a crowd of highstakes games to finish the season, this one stood out. The Lakers moved to eighth place in the West, gaining some separation from the Thunder, Mavericks and Jazz (who both also lost). But critically, the Lakers earned a 2-1 tiebreaker against OKC, which has been surprisingly competitive given its young core.
The Thunder’s stars showed why the youth movement has been working: Shai Gilgeous-alexander scored 27 points, and so did Josh Giddey, who added a whopping 18 rebounds and seven assists. Neither was particularly easy to stay in front of, and the Thunder as a team sunk 14 3s to bolster their attack.
But workmanlike defense helped gut out the win, with Davis patrolling the paint and directing double-teams against the Thunder stars. The Lakers made four free throws in the final minute to seal it.
The Lakers had whiffed on two earlier opportunities to improve to .500, a milestone that they hope to surpass soon rather than a desired plateau.
Davis clearly meant business from the outset. In the first quarter alone, he was 6 for 7 for 15 points — but it wasn’t the stats as much as the method. He attacked the rim with prejudice with three firstquarter dunks.
But the Lakers had other offensive firepower, too. Beasley and Walker rained down from beyond the arc coming off the bench, helping the Lakers reserves well outpace their Thunder counterparts, 33-15 in the first half alone.