With a precise three-point shot, Augustine went crazy with James. On March 22, Beijing time, James defeated the Cavaliers 131-120 away from home with 38 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists and triple-doubles, the 37-year-old continued to write miracles, and Augustine played his best performance since joining the Lakers on the bench, he shot all 7 of 7, 6 of 6 three-pointers, contributed 20 points.
In order to sign Augustine, the Lakers cut center DeAndre Jordan, hoping that the experienced point guard would play a role on the bench. Augustine had a precise three-pointer and, in some cases, used him on the court better than with a lack of shooting ability. Of course, Augustine can also play with Westbrook, who acts as a pitcher.
Before this game, Augustine was the Lakers' most accurate three-point shooting rate, shooting 40% from three-point range. Howard is shooting 66.7 percent from three-point range this season, but his sample is too small to shoot three-pointers and is negligible.
In this game, Augustine had 5 minutes and 34 seconds left in the first quarter, and he threw two consecutive three-pointers as soon as he came up. With 2:07 left in the first quarter, Augustine scored another three-pointer before breaking through to score a layup. Augustine scored 11 points in just half a quarter and was in excellent form.
The Lakers trailed the Cavaliers 28-35 in the first quarter, thanks to Augustine's 11-point fire support, otherwise the team would have been blown up in the first quarter. With 4:29 left in the second quarter, Augustine received a three-point pass from Westbrook to help the Lakers tie the score to 54. The Lakers set off a ferocious offense, with 1 minute and 28 seconds left in the second quarter, Augustine scored another three-pointer, and it was Wei Shao who gave him an assist, and the Lakers led 67-60.
Augustine scored another three-pointer with 4:49 left in the third quarter, and it was Munch who assisted him. In the ensuing game, Augustine did not score. He played 25 minutes in the game and scored 20 points with plus-minus +9.
Augustine was somehow relieved of the pressure on Westbrook, and after Westbrook came off the bench, he could do a good job as a substitute. When the two play together, he can act well as a shooter, Wei Shao assisted 11 times in this battle, and with such an accurate shooter, Wei Shao also followed the light.
Augustine, who was originally playing for the Rockets this season, played 34 games for the Rockets and shot 40.6 percent from three-point range. However, the Rockets cut Augustine after bringing in Schroeder through a trade.
The Lakers did not complete any trades at the trade deadline, and the team could only seek reinforcement in the buyout market, but neither Dragic nor Tristan Thompson chose the Lakers. In the end, the Lakers chose to bring in Augustine and cut Jordan Jr. for this reason.
Augustine earned $620,000 in salary with the Lakers, and he became the Lakers' most accurate three-point shooter. After this game, Augustine's overall three-point shooting rate in all games this season has improved to 43.2%. For the Lakers, it is really necessary to thank the Rockets for sending a big gift and giving the Purple and Gold Legion the opportunity to pick up the leak.