After being out since the start of February, the Lakers appear set to reportedly welcome back Jarred Vanderbilt from injury for Game 3. Vanderbilt has been ramping up his rehab with the postseason underway. On Monday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that Vando is aiming to be back for Game 3 against the Nuggets on Thursday. Prior to Game 2 in Denver, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham spoke about Vando, saying he went through an extensive workout during the team’s shootaround on Monday morning. The...
As a whole, the Lakers’ Game 1 loss to the Nuggets felt a lot like the preceding eight over the last two years. A valiant effort from the purple and gold was undone in the final minutes as Denver walked away with a win. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. That isn’t to say, though, that the details in the middle of the all-too-familiar formula. The Lakers tried new things against Nikola Jokic defensively. They didn’t really work as he finished 15-23 from the field for 32 points. But they tried them! The Lakers...
Editor’s Note: Our moderator BeautifulLakes elected to do a deep dive on the history of the Lakers and Nuggets in the NBA playoffs as the two sides are set to square off in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. While everyone remains the 2023 Western Conference Finals, the history is much deeper than that. In 1979, the first round of the playoffs was a best-of-three series. After the Nuggets won Game 1 and the Lakers took Game 2, it set up a pivotal Game 3 in Denver, which is the only time...
To get into the playoffs, the Lakers had a long stretch where every game felt essential. They responded to that pressure by going 18-8 through March and April to reach the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game. They ultimately took care of business beating the New Orleans Pelicans to earn the seventh seed. After the Lakers' play-in victory, Anthony Davis discussed the quality of play of the team entering the playoffs. "I think we're clicking at the right time," Davis said. "We still have a lot to...
The Lakers and Nuggets rematch feels a lot like déjà vu all over again given how often the two sides have played one another in the last year. Largely speaking, the cores of both teams are the same, particularly the starting lineups. The pieces around those starters, though, have changed. On either side, they could serve as difference makers, including with the Lakers having Gabe Vincent this time around. Despite not being 100%, Vincent, in theory, is someone who could have success against Jamal...
With a seemingly more favorable path as the No 8 seed, the question has
Almost everything went the Lakers way on Sunday as they thoroughly dominated the Pelicans en route to a comfortable 124-108 win, securing the eighth seed and a rematch in New Orleans on Tuesday. It wasn’t a perfect day, however, as Anthony Davis gingerly walked off the court in the final minutes. AD was holding his lower back and attempted to stretch it out at the scorer’s table before slowly walking to the locker room as the Lakers closed out their win. Fortunately, it appears there is nothing...
As annoying as the manner in which they did it was, the Lakers walked out of Memphis and Friday night with both a win and the No. 8 seed, a night of perfect results. The Grizzlies, expected, put up a tough fight. It was perhaps a little tougher than some of the Lakers were prepared for, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their thing and carried the team to a win. I’m not in the business of complaining about how wins come at this point in the season. The Lakers got their’s and now are a win...
The Lakers grabbed a crucial win against the depleted Memphis Grizzlies, 123-120. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were back together after missing crucial games over the last week and absolutely carried the Lakers. LeBron scored 37 points with 10 rebounds and five assists. AD scored 36 points with 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. No other Laker had more than 14 points, those coming from Rui Hachimura who found himself in foul trouble all night long. Austin Reaves scored 13 points. Gabe...
The Lakers will conclude their regular season on the road as they travel to Memphis and New Orleans for their last two games. Game 81 will be against the Grizzlies on Friday. Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies When: 5 p.m. PT, Apr 12. Where: FedEx Forum Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet Exactly this time last week, I wrote about the Lakers’ realistic chances to claim the sixth seed in the Western Conference and what they need to do to make that happen. But little did we know that in a span of...
The Lakers look set to have both LeBron James and Anthony Davis available for Friday’s penultimate game of the regular season. LeBron missed Sunday’s game with flu-like symptoms and arrived only an hour before the game on Tuesday. AD played just one quarter on Sunday before being ruled out that game and missing Tuesday as well. On Thursday’s injury report, LeBron is no longer listed with flu-like symptoms and AD is listed as probable. AD being listed with a left eye contusion is different than...