In the final game before the All-Star weekend, the Lakers defeated the Jazz 138-122 on the road, winning three in a row, and since entering February, the Lakers have been full of morale, with a total of 6 wins and 1 loss in seven games, which not only keeps them at bay from the Warriors behind them, but also keeps closing in on the gap between them and the top eight in the West. Next, the Lakers will get nearly 8 days of rest, and after the All-Star return will play against the Warriors, Spurs, Suns and Clippers, when James, Christie, Reddish, Vincent and others may return, and the Lakers, who are fully healthy and full of energy, really have hope of hitting the top six in the West.
Lakers star LeBron James was absent due to injury in this game, but under the leadership of thick eyebrows, the rest of the Lakers players played a performance of all the people, and the Lakers scored a total of 6 double-doubles in the whole game, and 5 people are worthy of praise. First of all, Reeves, Reaves got 22 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals in the whole game, reproducing the true colors of the wonder boy, especially before the end of the third quarter, stealing the Jazz's bocce ball to make 2+1, which made many fans call tough, after Dinwiddie joined, Reeves reduced the role of the ball control organization, which allowed him to focus more on scoring and defense, and he predicted the Jazz's passing route many times in this game, and got 3 steals, which is really good.
The second is Russell, due to James's absence, Russell took on more organizational responsibilities, and he did a very good job, the whole game, Russell got 11 points, 9 rebounds and 17 assists, including 17 assists a career high, after passing the trade deadline and staying with the Lakers, Russell finally found a long-lost sense of belonging, and now he is more focused on the game, and more integrated into this Lakers team, and then plays the Warriors, Clippers, Suns and other strong teams, the Lakers also need him to continue to provide such performances.
Then there are the thick eyebrows, this season's thick eyebrows really show the leadership style, and because they are healthier, the thick eyebrows have begun to let people see the shadow of the park eyebrows in 2020 again. James didn't play in this game, thick eyebrows led the team with a single core, scored 39 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in the whole game, and in the third quarter, he scored 17 points and 9 rebounds in a single quarter, with three points, mid-range shots, kills under the basket, and invincible frames.
Not only that, but now thick eyebrows have begun to speak frequently outside the court, and in the locker room, they also speak more encouraging and ask for teammates, such as he asked Hachimura to play tougher, hoping that Dinwiddie will be more decisive on the offensive end, and he can play by himself, such mature leader speeches used to be very good to see on thick eyebrows, but now thick eyebrows are starting to try to do it, and from the effect point of view, it is really good, Hachimura and Dinwiddie are the best proof.
Although James didn't play in this game, Hachimura played himself like James, playing 33 minutes, 13 of 19 shots, including 6 of 8 three-pointers, and scored a career-high 36 points, in addition to the first half, Hachimura shot 8 of 11, cut 21 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, also setting a career high in halftime scoring. Last summer, Hachimura followed James to practice low-post offense, but for a long time after the start of the season, Hachimura did not show his learning results, but since entering February, Hachimura has become more confident because of his stable starter, coupled with the encouragement of thick eyebrows, he has become more confident, more calm and daring to make moves on the offensive end, and recently his footsteps and lethality under the basket have become more and more James's shadow.
It is worth mentioning that James also posted on social media to cheer for Hachimura during the game, seeing his disciples playing hot and showing real training results, James should be happier than anyone else. In the last 3 games, Hachimura shot a total of 42 shots 29, with a shooting rate of 69%, and the Lakers won 3 consecutive victories.
The last is Dinwiddie, if this game Hachimura incarnates little James, then Dinwiddie is transformed into little Irving, 1.5 million worth, he just played a performance of 15 million, the whole game, Dinwiddie shot 4 of 6, 2 of 4 three-pointers, got 10 points, 4 assists and 2 steals, he can shoot three points against the defender on the offensive end, can break through the limit to pull the lever to the basket, can break through the accurate pass to assist teammates, he provides the Lakers with the ball and pass organization skills that the team urgently needs, it is really a bit of Irving's flavor, and even on the defensive end, Dinwiddie's performance exceeded expectations。
In addition, many people think that Dinwiddie may become a defensive black hole in the Lakers, but after two games, Dinwiddie's defense is not so bad, and even because of his height and weight, most guards choose to pass rather than attack when facing Dinwiddie's defense, and Dinwiddie is quite active on the defensive end, covering and entangled defense and even a little Vincent's shadow, such a performance is only 1.5 million base salary, just ask you if it is fragrant.
After this game, the Lakers have played their last game before the All-Star weekend, and it is good for the Lakers to enter the rest time with a three-game winning streak, and the Lakers are currently in ninth place in the West with a record of 30 wins and 26 losses, but this is not their ultimate goal, and the thick eyebrows emphasized in an interview yesterday that they want to enter the top six in the West and avoid playing the play-offs. If the Lakers can maintain their current form, coupled with a roster that is close to full return after the All-Star Break, then whether it is against the Warriors, or the Clippers and Suns, I believe the Lakers can beat them.