LeBron James has passed his 37th birthday, but his dominance has not diminished in the slightest. Although the physical strength and explosiveness are not as good as before, James's long-range shooting skills and defensive timing control have reached the point of pure fire. If it is not the team's record dragging its legs, then this season's James, absolutely qualified to compete with Durant Curry, for the MVP trophy. However, what the Lakers have to do now is to return to the track of winning as soon as possible, and this game, they have to face the Portland Blazers.
Lillard's form is also gradually picking up, but the Blazers still lose more and win less, are currently experiencing three consecutive losses, and Nurkic is still not back. In this case, the Lakers did not use Howard or Jordan Jr., but let LeBron James continue to serve as the starting center and compete with opponents in the small lineup.
The 37-year-old LeBron James, in the first quarter, was full of firepower, 6 of 10 shots, 3 of 2 three-pointers, the remaining 7 shots were in the box, and the single quarter bombarded 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, and the personal performance was indeed amazing. Anthony on the bench, 9 points and 1 rebound on 3-of-4 three-point shooting, relying on two 37-year-old veterans, the Lakers blasted 43 points in the first quarter, while the Blazers only scored 28 points, including Lillard with 3 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, but fortunately McCollmore shot 6 of 9, 16 points and 1 rebound in a single quarter.
In the first quarter, he took a 15-point lead, but James did not have the intention of being ruthless, and after returning from the second quarter of the game, he immediately rushed into the pursuit of three points, and the Lakers once took a 20-point lead. LeBron James continues to dominate the game, shooting 4-of-8 in a quarter and having 12 points and three rebounds, not at all like a 37-year-old veteran. Lillard struggled to find his hand and hit a three-pointer, but Anthony immediately responded, which was Anthony's fourth three-pointer in this game, becoming the best helper around LeBron James.
Although Lillard regained his form, with 9 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists in a single quarter, McCollmore lost the magic of the first quarter, only shooting 1 of 5. At the end of the half, the Los Angeles Lakers still led the Blazers by 15 points at 69-54.
The Los Angeles Lakers were able to take such a lead in the first half, and LeBron James was naturally indispensable, playing 17 minutes, shooting 10 of 18, 4 of 9 from three-point range, and getting 27 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. As long as James wants to, he can still compete for the top scorer, but for the future of the team, there is no benefit. Anthony also dreamed of returning to the peak, shooting 4 of 6 from three-point range, getting 12 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks, Munch was 11 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, And wei shao only had 4 shots, 7 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, obviously, and he had to take a triple-double, but Wei Shao's plus-minus value in the first half was +21, which was enough to prove that as long as he restrained his shot, then it was the best help for the team.
The Blazers were completely passive, but the only advantage was that the Lakers did not take advantage of the inside, Howard and Jordan Jr., did not play in this game, which made the Blazers' rebounds in the first half equal to the Lakers. Lillard had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists, and McCollmore had 20 points and 2 rebounds, and without his outburst, the Blazers would have lost suspense at halftime. Nance Jr. had 9 points and 7 rebounds, and Powell had 9 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. With a 15-point difference, the winner or loser is still an unknown.