The Lakers flirted with danger from the get-go. They certainly couldn’t have had a worse start, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Dennis Schröder — their three primary scorers — all misfiring. And considering their inability to play up to potential, they were fortunate to be down by just 13 at the break; had their defense been any less outstanding, the Warriors would have been able to pad the deficit.
For the Lakers, half time provided much-needed introspection and adjustment. If yesterday’s play-in match ultimately wound up in their favor, it was because of their versatility. They went the small ball route from the third quarter on, sacrificing the playing time of centers Andre Drummond and Montrezl Harrell in favor of putting Davis at the slot and thereby freeing the lane for incursions by playmakers James and Schröder.
At the same time, the Lakers benefited from their depth. With Schröder continuing to play below par, they possessed the luxury of turning to such notables as Alex Caruso and Wesley Matthews in order to offset the lack of production. That said, they needed extraordinary contributions from their proven one-two punch in Davis and James. The former came up with timely shots en route to 13 points in the fourth period, while the latter — apart from finishing with a triple-double — delivered a 34-foot three-point shot under duress for the game winner.
In the aftermath, the Lakers looked relieved; they knew they dodged a bullet, with scoring champion Stephen Curry starting slow and ending sloppy. Still, the Most Valuable Player candidate did all he could to keep the Warriors close until the final play; double, even triple coverage could not prevent him from putting up a whopping 37 points on six of nine shooting from beyond the arc and 12 of 23 overall.
Considering how much the Lakers had to lean on Davis and James, it’s fair to argue if the exertion will affect their competitiveness in the first round of the playoffs. With the red-hot Suns lying in wait, they need to be at their sharpest simply to keep pace. Else, they may find their confidence exposed as irrational, and their campaign to defend their title meeting an abrupt end.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
