Lakers player grades: LeBron James drops triple-double in win vs. Magic
The Los Angeles Lakers won for the second straight game after defeating the Orlando Magic, 106-94.
Los Angeles, playing without Anthony Davis, opened the first quarter on a 7-0 run by forcing turnovers on defense and converting in transition. However, Orlando responded with a 19-4 run and took a 25-18 lead entering the second behind 12 bench points.
Orlando pushed the lead to nine in the second, but the Lakers went on a 14-6 run with LeBron James playing at center and reclaimed the advantage, 32-31. Despite outscoring the Magic in the quarter, the Lakers trailed by three points at the half, 52-49. James led L.A. with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists and made all five of his shots inside the arc.
Los Angeles jumped to a 14-4 run to start the second half, with James responsible for 11 of them. He made back-to-back triples and a long fadeaway from near the right elbow. L.A. then increased that run to 33-6, including a 23-0 spurt, with James and Talen Horton-Tucker leading the charge. Orlando went 10 minutes without scoring a field goal as L.A. led 85-62 after three quarters.
Unsurprisingly, the Lakers allowed Orlando to make it competitive again after the Magic jumped to an 18-9 run when L.A. went small. Orlando trimmed the 25-point lead to 10 but eventually ran out of gas.
Here is how the Lakers graded individually from the win:
Russell Westbrook had an erratic first quarter when he kept trying to drive at the rim but got swallowed up by Orlando’s big men. He forced the issue too often on his drives and ended up limping into the locker room at halftime but returned with more poise.
His second-half drives were composed and controlled, as he careened through Orlando’s matador defense. Westbrook posted 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals while shooting 9-of-18 from the field. He did not attempt a 3-pointer.
Avery Bradley didn’t explode from 3-point range as he did against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he chipped in six points (2-of-5 3P), two rebounds, one steal and a block. He acknowledged after the Thunder win that any Laker not part of the Big 3 can go off on any given night. Tonight wasn’t Bradley’s turn; instead, it was another starter.
Talen Horton-Tucker: A-plus
Talen Horton-Tucker was that teammate in this game. He easily had his best two-way performance of the year, taking positive steps for what the coaching staff envisions for him.
Horton-Tucker dropped 19 points (7-of-14 FG, 3-of-6 3P), six steals and three assists. The steals marked a career-high. He anticipated passes brilliantly and didn’t force anything on offense. He also did a solid job contesting Franz Wagner’s shots, and that’s not an easy assignment considering Wagner’s size at 6-foot-10.
The Lakers need the young wing to build on this outing.
LeBron James: A-plus
The King dominated this game, particularly in the third quarter. He began knocking down 3-pointers and swatting shots all over the place on defense. LeBron picked up his second triple-double of the season with a 30-point, 11-rebound and 10-assist display. He blocked three shots and hit 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Without him, the Lakers don’t win this one.
Dwight Howard: C-plus
Dwight Howard had a slow start, but his size was necessary to rebound and contest shots down low. He finished with five points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 23 minutes, so he stuck to his role and did what he needed to do.
Carmelo Anthony: B-minus
Carmelo Anthony had a quick start as he was the first player in the game to reach 10 points. His momentum slowed in the second half as he finished with 13 points, three rebounds, two blocks and an assist on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point territory.
Anthony, however, struggled on the defensive end when either playing the 4 or 5. That was a reason Orlando made a big run in the fourth, but it ultimately resulted in a win for L.A.
Austin Reaves: B-minus
Austin Reaves continues to do the little things right. Whether it’s boxing out on defense, making the right rotations, cutting to help LeBron or picking out the right man with passes, Reaves is just a solid IQ player. He had five points, four rebounds and an assist in this one, including a crucial 3-pointer to stop the bleeding late in the fourth.
Malik Monk: C
Malik Monk’s offense has quieted down lately. He had just two points in 18 minutes but added three assists and three rebounds. Monk missed both of his 3s.
DeAndre Jordan: A
DeAndre Jordan normally doesn’t get a grade because he isn’t a key rotational piece, but he really helped the Lakers tonight. In just 10 minutes, Jordan put up four points, six rebounds and three blocks, including a throwback alley-oop jam from Monk. The Lakers need to use Jordan smartly and in small spurts; tonight was a perfect example of the perks of that.
Wayne Ellington: N/A
Wayne Ellington played the fewest minutes of any Laker (7). In that time, he drained his only shot of the night — a 3-pointer off floppy action — and grabbed three rebounds. He did, however, miss a technical free throw. He won’t get a grade because of the low minutes.
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