Getty Dwyane Wade with LeBron James.
It wasn’t easy but the Los Angeles Lakers were able to beat the rival Clippers in the first game back after the NBA suspension. Anthony Davis was the star on offense but mostly disappeared in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, LeBron James turned up the heat late in the game and was able to shut down Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the defensive end.
At 35 years old, it was surprising to see LeBron so effective on the defensive end. In fact, one of his former teammates and closest friends, Dwyane Wade, decided to take a hilarious shot at him after the game.
@KingJames brought out that 2011 fourth quarter defensive last night. I know my guy needed an ice bucket after all that literal movement 😆
Typically players of LeBron’s age aren’t known for their defensive ability. However, he put on a clinic on Thursday night. It’s a testament to how badly he wants to win the championship this year. He wasn’t as effective on the offensive side but that’ll change once the rust wears off. If LeBron can have elite production on offense and defense, the Lakers are going to be very hard to beat.
Anthony Davis Needs to Step up Late in Games
Through three-quarters of the game against the Clippers, Anthony Davis was easily the best player on either team. He had 32 points and was doing everything. Unfortunately, he disappeared in the fourth quarter and only scored two more points to close the game. In four games against the Clippers, Davis is averaging 2.5 points per game in the fourth quarter.
Considering he’s averaging 28.25 points per game against the Clippers, it’s a serious problem he’s struggling so much in the fourth quarter. Davis is the one player on the Lakers that the Clippers obviously don’t have an answer for. Kawhi and George are both elite defenders and can take on LeBron when necessary. When that happens, the Lakers need to be able to rely on Davis to take over the game. If he can’t start being more effective late in games, the team has a serious problem.
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LeBron Talks Clippers
Through the four games the Lakers and Clippers have played this season, it’s clear they don’t like each other very much. The tension is palpable between the two teams.
“We’re two teams in the same city and two teams that’s fighting for one common goal,” LeBron said on a video conference call after the win over the Clippers. “And that’s to win a championship and bring it to the city of Los Angeles and [each] fan base. So you have so many competitors on the floor – going out there and representing the purple and gold, representing Laker nation; those guys are doing the same thing for their fan base. No matter what the [situation] is, no matter what the bubble is, no fans, or [with] fans, basketball is basketball and competitive spirit is competitive spirit, so we’re right back to where we left off.”
The Lakers have owned Los Angeles for decades while the Clippers have been irrelevant for most of that time. Winning a title would put them on the map and loosen the grip the Lakers have on the city.
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