Luka Doncic set the tone with 24 points in the first quarter. LeBron James picked up the baton with 18 over the next two quarters. Austin Reaves put the finishing touches on the Lakers’ 135-118 win over the Clippers on Tuesday by scoring 18 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers Big Three each starred in their solo parts while harmonizing almost perfectly together to propel the Lakers (13-4) to their fifth consecutive win. Doncic starred with 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. Reaves added 31 points and nine rebounds, and James scored a season-high 25 points and six assists.
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Read more: Luka Doncic owns the Clippers again as Lakers win NBA Cup matchup
LeBron James feeling ‘better and better’
During parts of Sunday’s game in Utah, James desperately motioned toward the Lakers bench for a sub. When asked after the game about a particularly labored stretch during the second quarter, James quipped that it wasn’t just that moment.
“First, second, third and fourth,” James joked Sunday in Utah. “Come get me.”
Two days later, James looked almost back to normal as he had season-high 25 points, showing he had no trouble pushing the pace in transition while the team was plus-18 with him on the court.
“It will get better every game,” James said Tuesday of his conditioning. “Today was another … testament to that. So great win for us, but I’m starting to feel better and better.”
Coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will be tracking James’ three-point shooting, play-making and transition points as indicators of how he is progressing in his return from sciatica that sidelined him for 14 games.
On a team that was struggling to find its three-point shot, James can be a much-needed laser. James has shot 41.3% on catch-and-shoot threes during the past three seasons while increasing the volume of his shots. He has taken at least 184 such three-pointers in each of the past four seasons after taking no more than 148 in any of the prior eight seasons for which tracking data is available.
That skill came through in the perfect moment Tuesday with a corner three off an assist from Reaves in the fourth quarter, helping the Lakers start the fourth quarter on a 14-4 run. James made two of five three-pointers as the Lakers shot a season-best 44.8% from three to snap out of their shooting slump.
Lakers win their NBA Cup group
Lakers guard Austin Reaves drives to the hoop as Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers locked up their spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, but there are still meaningful Cup games to be played.
With a 3-0 record in West Group B, the Lakers can clinch home-court advantage in the quarterfinals with a win Friday against the Dallas Mavericks in the group stage finale. A win would be the simplest way to avoid resorting to the point differential tiebreaker that could still be in play to decide the No. 1 seed in the West. Outscoring opponents by 36 points, the Lakers’ point differential is 27 points behind West Group A leaders Oklahoma City (2-0 in group play) for the potential No. 1 seed. The top-seeded team will host the wild-card team, which earns its spot in the quarterfinal by virtue of being the best second-place team in group play. Portland and Denver are tied atop West Group C with 2-1 records.
The three-year-old NBA Cup, inspired by similar in-season tournaments in European leagues, has sparked confusion about the colorful courts and ever-changing group stage scenarios. The potential extra road trip and extra championship game could end up putting more wear on teams that have larger playoff ambitions, but the prize makes it worth the trouble: $500,000 for each player.
“Obviously I’ll accept money,” Doncic said with a sarcastic smile. “That’s easy. … I played it in Spain, something like this, so I like it. Just the courts, please.”
Doncic said the Lakers’ NBA Cup court — bright yellow with the gold and black trophy painted into the key — caused problems for a few players as they slipped on the new hardwood. An area near the free-throw line in front of the Clippers bench appeared to be especially slippery. Doncic said he could tell immediately during warm-ups that the surface could be a problem.
“I slipped a lot of times and you could see a lot of players slipped,” Doncic said. “And that’s dangerous, man.”
Redick said he noticed players slipping, but also that they were falling prior to that. He said the team will look into the court.
Jaxson Hayes has Luka Doncic’s back
With the $53,000 earned from advancing to the quarterfinals, Doncic can easily cover the fine that Jaxson Hayes incurred on Doncic’s behalf late in Tuesday’s game.
With 3:36 remaining in a 10-point game, Doncic was positioning himself for a potential rebound under the rim when Clippers gaurd Kris Dunn shoved him in the back. Doncic called it a “cheap shot” and shouted back at Dunn, who answered by pushing the ball in Doncic’s chest. Hayes then stepped in and pushed Dunn away from Doncic.
“I didn’t like the way he shoved him,” Hayes said. “I just wanted to help.”
Read more: Luka Doncic helps Lakers hold off Jazz for fourth win in a row
Hayes was assessed a technical foul while Dunn picked up a technical for shoving the ball toward Doncic and was ejected with a second technical for retaliating against Hayes. Doncic immediately told Hayes that he would cover the $2,000 fine for Hayes’ first technical foul of the year.
“That says a lot about him,” Doncic said. “That says a lot about this team. Everybody has got each other’s back.”
Hayes and Doncic have grown so close in less than one season playing for the Lakers together that they have explored opportunities for Hayes to become a naturalized Slovenian citizen to play for the national team with Doncic. A high-flying athletic center, Hayes is the type of player who excels next to a pick-and-roll artist such as Doncic, who loves to put on a show with flashy lobs.
They paired for an exclamation point on the win when Doncic tossed up a pass for Hayes to slam down with two hands to put the Lakers up by 14 with 1:52 remaining. Hayes, who started for injured center Deandre Ayton, had eight points, four rebounds and three assists. Ayton is game-to-game because of a right knee contusion and Redick said he could return by the end of this week.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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