For the last few years, conventional NBA wisdom has stated that the Los Angeles Lakers are only competitive when both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are playing.
Those two stars do add a lot to the team, of course, but the Lakers can still win without them.
As pointed out by ClutchPoints, the Lakers have scored some huge wins while James and Davis have been out.
They beat the Boston Celtics without both James and Davis and also conquered the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night without James.
The Lakers have been on top of their game during big matchups with LeBron James on the sidelines 😤
🔹 They beat the Celtics without LeBron and Anthony Davis
🔹 They beat the Bucks without LeBron pic.twitter.com/8LRK3Vbuf1— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 9, 2024
Friday night’s victory was a huge one.
Most people thought that the Lakers would be defeated.
It’s not just because the Bucks are the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but also because the Lakers have been inconsistent lately, winning and losing seemingly at random.
Most recently, they gave away a huge lead to the Sacramento Kings in one of the most disappointing losses of the year.
But D’Angelo Russell stepped up in a huge way during Friday’s game, scoring a season-high 44 points and providing the team with a game-winning clutch shot.
Other stars, like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes, helped out a lot too.
Newcomer Spencer Dinwiddie also did very well and provided the team with a game-saving block on Damian Lillard.
Davis had a great game himself, posting 22 points and 13 rebounds.
But the impressive thing about Friday night’s win is that the supporting stars were shining brightest.
This is very good news for the Lakers as the postseason grows closer.
It proves that even if James, Davis, or both have to sit out of games, the team could still have a chance.
The Lakers are in the midst of a very challenging stretch of games.
However, they have kept their head above water over the last couple of weeks, going 4-3 in their last seven games.
NEXT:Â
Stats Highlight D’Angelo Russell’s Notable 26-Game Stretch
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