Who is this Lakers' bench we're seeing? I like this version ;) They are playing with energy, confidence, and rhythm and the results speak for themselves. Jodie Meeks shot 7/8 from 3 point land. Antawn Jamison poured in 33 points (12 reb) with a flurry of 3's, layups, and his signature scoop shots. The Lakers were up big throughout the game and win with a final score of 122-103.
Coach D'Antoni again adjusted the rotations by allowing more time for Antawn Jamison at the 4 with Dwight Howard at the 5 for better floor balance. He also had Gasol manning the 5 (where he is more comfortable) with the second unit. Both adjustments had great results as Jamison got great looks, and Pau facilitated the second unit offense to the tune of 8 assists.
Notables:
The Good:
- The Lakers made 17 three pointers tonight and tied a franchise record. The kicker here is that the 17th three came from none other than Dwight Howard in the corner towards the end of regulation. LOL
-The Lakers kept Denver off of the offensive glass all night
-The ball movement was excellent, leading to many open shots without over passing
-High energy on defense all night. Shots at the rim were constantly contested (when Dwight was in)
The Bad:
-No rim protection when Dwight sits (as he did tonight when he got cut above his eye). Pau has got to contest more. Even at the risk of fouling. The tendonitis in his knees may be a factor here.
- Related to the first point, too many points in the paint tonight
The offense was flowing all night and the Lakers have proven they can play uptempo against uptempo teams. The next step is imposing their will and playing uptempo against good defensive teams (see SAS and IND games for reference).
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