Lakers at Warriors (12/22/12)

Christmas came a little early this year for Lakers fans.  After missing 24 consecutive games, everyone was surprised to learn that Steve Nash would get the start tonight. It was announced only about an hour and a half before the game.  With his return came a gritty come-from-behind win on the road against a hot Warriors team.  The Lakers fell behind by 14 (13 to start the 4th), but won tonight's contest 118-115 in OT.

It wasn't a pretty game until late in the 4th and OT.  In fact it was pretty ugly.  Dwight was in foul trouble all night.  Going into the 4th he only had about 12 minutes in the game.  Because of his absence the Lakers defense suffered. Kobe was his usual aggressive self, but was not getting any calls.  He shot only 1 free throw in the entire game and that came from a technical foul.  As a result he shot poorly from the field.

The Lakers were able to stay within reach due to great bench play from MWP, Jordan Hill, and Jodie Meeks.  Then when closing time came late in the 4th and throughout OT, Kobe Bryant took over.  And this time the Mamba had some help.  Nash hit some clutch shots including a 3 and a runner in the lane.  Dwight even kicked it out to MWP for a crucial corner 3. It wasn't perfect, but it was a great team win.  Credit the Lakers for their never say die attitude.

Notables:

The Good:
-Klosing. The Lakers were clutch down the stretch.  Great passing and team play.
-Steve Nash played better than expected in his 1st game back.  He shot well, passed well, and played big minutes.  He seems to be in great shape still.  We'll see how his leg responds tomorrow morning.
-Solid bench contributions

The Bad:
-Too many offensive rebounds given up for the 1st 3 three quarters
-Foul trouble for Kobe and Dwight.  Both had 5 fouls from early in the 4th
-Too many ISOs. The ball movement was much better late in the game.  Nash will improve this as time goes on and players get more comfortable.

Overall, this win will go a long ways for the Lakers building confidence and chemistry. It was a solid road win that took a lot of guts to pull off.  Next up is the Knicks on Christmas day.  It's the perfect time for the Lakers to turn their season around.