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The LA Lakers, without LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Lonnie Walker IV, just pulled off their most impressive win of the season. They beat a Miami Heat team 112-109 that had its full cast of key players to remain unbeaten in 2023.
Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook and Thomas Bryant starred for the Lakers in unquestionably their biggest win of the season.
Skip Bayless quickly pounced on what happened in a tweet after the game:
“Who needs AD and LBJ??? Starless Lakers just upset the Heat led by Dennis the Menace, Russ and the hardest working man in the NBA, Thomas Bryant. What a win.”
The LA Lakers came out swinging, wanting to prove early that they will not be run over without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They built an early 13-point lead in the first quarter but settled for a nine-point advantage after the first 12 minutes of the game.
From there, the Miami Heat, which had Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, tried to impose their will on the game. The Heat eventually managed to grab the lead in the third quarter and part of the fourth quarter.
The Lakers, however, refused to wilt under Miami’s uprising. Dennis Schroder had 14 points in the fourth quarter while Thomas Bryant added 11. Together, they provided the scoring punch that kept the Heat at bay.
Russell Westbrook also played a huge role in the Lakers’ victory. He continued his push for Sixth Man of the Year honors with another scintillating display. Westbrook finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals.
Westbrook and Schroder took turns running the offense throughout the game. LA’s veteran guards were crucial in helping the team keep their composure when the Heat tried to wrestle the lead again.
The Lakers have now won three straight games but tonight’s victory was just their first without both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The LA Lakers will unquestionably need the All-Star versions of LeBron James and Anthony Davis to make the playoffs
Anthony Davis’ injury was unfortunate as he was playing at an MVP level. He averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 blocks in his last 15 games.
LeBron James, on the other hand, is averaging 34.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists in his last two games. Forget All-Star, James is also playing as well as any of the NBA’s leading MVP candidates.
The LA Lakers can’t afford to lose the two and survive the grueling Western Conference. They may have won one game without their two best players, but they are not going anywhere when both are not healthy.
The NBA is still a superstar-driven league and the LA Lakers can’t do without one or both of them. They have shown that they can beat elite teams when healthy but they’ve also faltered when their two superstars are around.
One win doesn’t make a season. And despite Skip Bayless’ mockery of not needing LeBron James and Anthony Davis, LA will only go as far as they can carry the team.
