The Lakers beat the Hawks 134-118 at home, winning four straight games, and since 2022, the Lakers have not lost, and the team looks like it is back on track to win. James exploded with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks, and in the fourth quarter, he scored 17 points to take over the game, Munch contributed 29 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, and the base salary played a super value, Bradley dreamed back to the top, contributing 21 points and 6 rebounds, substitute Horton Tucker state recovery cut 21 points and 5 assists, Anthony also scored 17 points and 7 rebounds, Anderson contributed 9 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, only 1 point left to get another 3 doubles. The Lakers' offense was completely activated, and it won a combination of stars + teams.
After this game, James created a new miracle, becoming the first person in the league in nearly 47 years. He cut 32+8+9+4+3 in this game, becoming the first player in NBA history since 1975 to be able to cut 30+5+5+3+3 in a single game over the age of 34, while James is 37 years old.
In the past 10 games, James has scored 25+ in 10 consecutive games, including 30+ in 9 games, and for the 19th year of his career, he still played the peak state which is amazing. Under his leadership, the Lakers have regained their winning taste in recent games. Vogel finally found the Lakers' winning code through constant changes and attempts, that is, to let James play as a center and play in the five small lineups.
So far, the Lakers have used five small lineups a total of 5 times, and in these 5 games, the team has maintained all wins and a record of 5 wins and 0 losses. Against the Rockets, the Lakers' small lineup blasted down 132 points to win 132-123. In the face of the Blazers, the Lakers' small lineup exploded with 139 points, a big victory over the opponent by 33 points. Playing the Timberwolves narrowly won 108-103, playing the Kings to win 122-114, and facing the Eagles, facing the inside line with twin towers Capela and Collins, Vogel still decisively used a small lineup, and finally the whole team bombed a high score of 134 points, and the offensive power brought by the small lineup was very amazing.
In the past 5 games using small lineups, the Lakers can average 127 points per game, which is very scary, and the Jazz, who are the first in the league to average points per game this season, have an average score of only 115.8 points, which is 11.2 points less than the average score of the Lakers' 5 small lineups.
James is strong and technically comprehensive, which provides natural convenience for him to play the No. 5 position, plus the current league's internal line is generally soft, more is floating on the outside line, so James plays the No. 5 position like a fish, can pass the ball inside and outside, in the center of this position, it is like a more athletic, more flexible Jokic and Embiid.
With James, the all-around No. 5 position, the Lakers' offensive space can be further opened, and the outside projection has begun to exert its power. At least from the current point of view, the five small lineup is the Lakers' current best lineup, although some people will worry that the Lakers will be like the original Rockets, and finally lose in the playoffs, but obviously, the Lakers' lineup flexibility is stronger than the original Rockets, after all, the Rockets' No. 5 position at that time was Tucker and Covington, and the Lakers' No. 5 position is James, the gap is self-evident. What's more, they also have a thick eyebrow in the recovery, ten thousand steps back, and they also have Howard, the traditional big man, which is incomparable to the original Rockets' five-small lineup.