Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel made a notable change to the starting lineup after the team’s third consecutive defeat. Hoping to avoid a four-game slump against Utah Jazz number one, Vogel turned to Markieff Morris and Talen Horton-Tucker to replace Kyle Kuzma and Wesley Matthews.
The formation with a new look resisted the five dominant initials of Jazz. The initial round of substitutions for both sides came at the 6:43 mark of the first quarter, with the game tied at 13. It was the opposite of the usual slow games that the Lakers were prone to.
“Just to give us a slightly more offensive attack with the ability to play a little bit through ‘Kieff on the post,” explained Vogel of the lineup changes. “Having a ballhandler with ‘Bron was something we really wanted to do after the overtime game the other night.
“So Talen or Alex were there all night with him. Just giving us a slightly different look after losing three in a row. ”
Although LA ended up being eliminated, it was not the team’s fault. Apart from LeBron James and Horton-Tucker – who were under-20 and -16, respectively – the matches really did better than most of the bench unit.
Of course, the Lakers desperately need to stay healthy and reach the All-Star break without further damaging their record. They play just four games before a nine-day break, but have to face the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings in the process.
Lakers hopeful Schroder returns on Friday
Dennis Schroder – who was forced to go through a seven-day quarantine as part of the NBA’s health and safety protocols – missed the Lakers’ last four games. They lost all four, making their return even more imperative.
If Schroder continues with the negative test, he should be back on the Lakers roster by Friday night. They will need your defense and shooting desperately while facing Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers.
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