Hawks, Hornets, Heat and again Atlanta, the Lakers chain successes with a smile. Square it off on the year 2023 or LeBron’s birthday, but one thing is for sure, the mood is very positive right now on this side of Los Angeles.
It is sure that lately, facing the Hawks is rather good plan.
Knowing that the band to Trae Young and completely disarticulated, we must take advantage of it. And that’s exactly what Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and company did this Friday, easily disposing of the Hawks. However, with the recent news coming from the infirmary, no Austin Reaves, no Lonnie Walker, no Anthony Davis of course.
But one thing has been noticeable in recent days on the Lakers side, and the credit must go to Darvin Ham and his staff. Despite the absences, the players remain ready, and they try to fight at all costs. Interior revelation to the point of completely forgetting Damian Jones, this good Thomas Bryant treats and he gave a layer of it this night (19 points, 13 rebounds). Playing muscle and emotion with Russ, the giant pummeled the entry racket late in the game, leaving Kendrick Nunn (23 points) and Dennis Schröder (21 points) to join the dance.
There was no match. Already because to have a match you need two teams, and the Hawks were not present. Uninterested, atrocious to watch, Nate McMillan’s men didn’t seem like they wanted to be in California tonight at all. A sofa would have done better, when we saw the Lakers take a lead of more than 20 points in the first period. Despite a heatstroke from Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, hopes won’t last long for an Atlanta team unable to defend. Penetrations on penetrations, LeBron and company will abuse to maintain their lead and walk away with the victory.
The fourth victory in a row, and this invincibility of 2023 which extends one more day.
The mood is good on the Lakers side, as a rumor of an exclusive LeBron interview with ESPN surfaced. If we should finally be entitled to more ego-boosting than demolition of the franchise, the tension remains and it is appeased by this kind of victories. One month from the trade deadline, you could hardly ask for better.
Now, will this good phase, particularly linked to the opponents, be changed by the difficulty of the program to come? Between the upcoming Kings, Mavs, Nuggets and Sixers, there’s no shortage of testing. As long as Wenyen Gabriel and his gang continue to get high collectively, who knows? Maybe the series will continue, for now anyway the fans are enjoying it while there is still time.
Evenings like this, Lakers fans have long dreamed of. Easy win, LeBron all smiles, collective effort and rest for the executives, the weather is nice in 2023 in Los Angeles. Finally, in this corner of Los Angeles.