Los Angeles Looks Stacked

The Lakers seemed fully rested Thursday night after the All-Star weekend break, defeating the Warriors 124-111. It is a clutch win for Los Angeles as they aim to clinch the playoffs. This goal is within arm's reach as they are 3-1 after the trade deadline.

Malik Beasley played a solid game and earned 25 points, three rebounds and one assist. It was his third win as a Laker after being traded from Utah Jazz earlier this month. He proved he will be a strong offensive part for the team now that he can focus solely on nailing down rhythm. In a postgame interview, Beasley said, “We’re deep as a team, we got starters coming off the bench...we got so many threats...we’re deep and that’s the statement we want to make.”

During the pregame press conference, Coach Darvin Ham said, “Guys are just excited to be in a place now where there is no trade deadline looming and the moves that were made to enhance what we have going on already. I think guys can be comfortable and settle in with their teammates.”

While watching the Lakers on the court, it is obvious their chemistry is boiling. The offensive play is a momentous change of scenery, and the depth of the team has fully upgraded.

During the first quarter, D’Angelo Russell sprained his ankle and was ruled out for the rest of the game. The X-rays did not show anything out of the ordinary, but Ham said he will be reevaluated. During the postgame press conference Russell said the injury was from being in the “wrong place, wrong time.” He continued to describe his ankle as sore but sounded confident he would bounce back.

While Russell was out of the game and Lebron James hit 4-19 on his free throws, the team remained balanced and had a 16-point lead. They played off each other and the fresh Laker players picked up the slack throughout the match. In the postgame press conference Ham said, “Everybody contributed, everybody had different moments. Guys stayed aggressive playing downhill...overall great team win defensively...you have to have multiple efforts all over the place and I thought our guys did that.”

Lakers stars James and Anthony Davis, or “Three Six Mafia” as Mo Bamba nicknamed them, had a combined night of 25 points. It was an off night for both players, but it was refreshing to see help from the team when needed. Los Angeles is looking like a different team from the start of the season. Coach Ham said, “Having Beasley out there, just a sniper non-stop staying aggressive, Austin in his role, Rui, all of those guys...they [James and Davis] don’t have to carry as big of a load.”

Golden State Warriors leader, Stephen Curry, was out of another game after he injured his leg on Feb. 4 against the Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors are 9-12 since Curry’s been on the bench.

Los Angeles looked undeniably fresh and aggressive shooting magical threes and holding down the fort. If the chemistry and teamwork continue, the Lakers can find themselves in the playoffs.