Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press
One night after failing to complete a late comeback against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers had little trouble defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning a 100-86 victory on Friday at the Staples Center.
After losing nine games due to COVID protocols, followed by more time to improve his conditioning, the great man Marc Gasol made his second consecutive start after scoring five points and two rebounds in 15 minutes on Thursday.
The victory broke a four-game losing streak and gave Los Angeles (29-17) their first win since LeBron James suffered a sprained right ankle against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20.
It’s been a tough time for LA without James and Anthony Davis (calf), but things seem to be getting easier now that Gasol is back on the rotation. It happened on Friday with Cleveland (17-28) in the city for the only time throughout the year, without the owner owner Collin Sexton due to an injury to the hamstring.
Notable Artists
Montrezl Harrell, C, Los Angeles Lakers: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Dennis Schroder, PG, Los Angeles Lakers: 17 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals
Larry Nance Jr., PF, Cleveland Cavaliers: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists
Jarrett Allen, C, Cleveland Cavaliers: 13 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists
Lakers Downs Cavs appear in the third quarter
For the first time since LeBron James’ injury a week ago, the Lakers finally managed to build a double-digit lead against one of their opponents.
When you’re losing two of the best players in the league and in a four-game losing streak, sometimes it’s the little things that help restore confidence that things will get better. Of course, a confrontation with one of the worst teams in the league will also help in this.
Despite struggling in the first half when Los Angeles failed to score three points until 93 seconds before the break, the Lakers could not help but escape the Cavs with a blocking defense and a scoring increase in the third quarter.
LA opened the second half with a 19-6 run over seven minutes that saw the Cavs make one for their first 16 on the floor. Combined with some late twists that led to transition dunks for the Lakers, it was more than enough to guarantee a much-needed victory after an unquestionably difficult stretch.
The streak of four straight losses was the longest of the season in Los Angeles. Fortunately for defending champions, that record will remain intact a little longer.
Gasol continues to increase
Even before the Lakers took to the pitch, things started looking a little more optimistic for coach Frank Vogel & Co., with the word that Anthony Davis was released to increase his rehabilitation on the court. While there is still no definitive timetable for the return of the All-Star, it was a much-needed update for a club that has seen many negative health updates in the past few days.
But just because Davis is approaching a comeback doesn’t mean fans should expect too much from him when he returns. Judging by how LA is using Marc Gasol on his return from an extended hiatus, the Lakers may continue to take things slow with Davis for a while, once he is back in rotation.
For the second night in a row, Gasol played just 15 minutes after Vogel put him on the starting line.
The attack rarely hit the big man as he continued to return to the form of the game.
Instead, Gasol scored 2 to 3 from the ground with four points, two rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block, two turns and three fouls.
It will be an adjustment – one that I hope will not take long for LA – but it also shows that the Lakers are willing to be patient with important players coming out of an injury.
Much depends on the return of James and Davis. They simply will not be asked to deliver all of this immediately.
Which is Next
The Lakers hosts another sub-.500 club on Sunday at 10 pm ET, when the Orlando Magic visit the Staples Center as the Cavs heads north to face the Sacramento Kings at 10 pm Eastern time. It is the third stop on a four-game trip to Cleveland.