One syllable and two letters easily cut through artificial noise.
“Hey,” Kyle Kuzma shouted.
It was not the first time that Kuzma threw her hands up, asking for the ball when she was on the other side of the court. But on Sunday night, the 25-year-old deserved the pass more than ever in his Laker career.
He had hit the first four, hit two shots at the edge, and even with his right hand on fire, Kuzma did not force any shots. He even refused a potential dunk in the transition to give Kentavious Caldwell-Pope an easy basket with no one to defend.
But this time he was the one open – and he was open – so he shouted.
“Hey.”
Dennis Schroder passed the ball to him and, for the first time in all time, Kuzma made a mistake. Yes, he hit the hopper, but his fingers were on the three-point line.
That single point did not matter in the Lakers’ 127-91 victory, but Kuzma’s full game (and not just his score) showed that the Lakers are ready to deal with the twists that the season will surely bring.
They can do this with the pass, finding the warm hand and adapting quickly to the situation.
“No one should feel pressured to do much,” said LeBron James.
With Anthony Davis off the pitch because of a strain on his right calf muscle, Kuzma slid into the starting lineup and made a full presentation. Their energy was impossible for the rest of the Lakers to not match, as they quickly took any lives from the distraught Timberwolves, who were on the second consecutive night and playing without Karl-Anthony Towns because of a wrist injury.
Kuzma scored 20 points, all in the first half, with the Lakers regulars taking advantage of the last quarter resting on the bench and preparing for Monday’s game against Portland.
Highlights of the Lakers’ 127-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
With Kuzma leading the way, the Lakers had made three trios by the time the Timberwolves hit one, quickly turning the game into an explosion.
It was all a product of the Lakers’ ball movement, passing so fast and accurate that you could almost hear “Sweet Georgia Brown” whistling through the empty Staples Center.
“It’s just a fun brand of basketball,” said Kuzma.
The Lakers’ 32 assists told only part of the story, many of those beautiful passes made by one or two altruistic moves before them.
But if a player best exemplified the collaborative spirit at night, it was Marc Gasol.
Gasol fought in the team’s first two games, but on Sunday he was sublime, flirting with a triple-double in 21 minutes with 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Lakers center-back Marc Gasol, on the right, tries to corner a lost ball in front of teammate LeBron James against the Timberwolves on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Earlier this week, James described the types of moves he expects from young opponents, the type of moves that stop him and make him say, “Wow”.
“Guys who can make plays happen before you can read, before many players on the floor can see them,” said James on Thursday. “It is not a question of actually scoring the ball. It is about doing passes and readings. “
After Gasol strode a Caldwell-Pope striding to a tray in the third quarter, James ran to Gasol and punched him in the chest. He had just witnessed one of these pieces from the new Lakers center.
With the Lakers without Davis – the hope is that his calf will improve enough for him to play on Monday – the team thrived, completely comfortable, although an important piece was missing.
The Lakers’ expectation is that this is not the only time they will be in this position. Whether it’s a sore calf or the league’s COVID protocols, integrity is a luxury that most squads won’t have as often.
It could happen again on Monday. In the first half, James went to the court and grabbed his left ankle before tying his shoe again and staying in the game. He remained in the game against Minnesota, but it will be questionable if he plays against the Trail Blazers.
“We have been talking about this since the first day. The expectation and the norm for us, for most of the league, is that there will be guys out, ”said coach Frank Vogel before the game on Sunday. “We just have to make sure that we understand that this is the norm and we are not going to let that slow us down in any way. I think we have one of the strongest teams in the league and we can handle something like this as well as anyone.
“But tonight will be the first test.”
And yo, they definitely passed.