The Los Angeles Lakers is not the same club without Dennis Schroder in the squad.
This was evident when the Lakers lost all four games that Schroder missed due to NBA health and safety protocols before ending the skid on Friday, with a 102-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Just having him back on our team and in our dressing room means a lot to our team,” said LeBron James, who had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists against the Blazers.
Schroder is expected to be in the mix again when the Lakers host the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
Against the Blazers, Schroder made his presence felt at both ends of the court. He scored 22 points and helped slow Portland’s Damian Lillard, who managed 11 points in the second half after scoring 24 in the first.
Schroder and James also contributed to the Lakers limiting the Blazers to 38.6 percent of pitches. James was particularly effective with four steals and three blocks.
“I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to help us out of this losing streak,” said James. “But that has always been my game, to be able to play on both sides of the court and to be responsible and to be with my teammates.
“Tonight was a time when I got some thefts and some blockages, I got some accusations and I just tried to be the voice and also act on the defensive end.”
An outbreak in the third quarter boosted the Lakers and allowed them to eliminate a three-point deficit in the interval and turn it into an 85-76 lead in the fourth period.
Stephen Curry had 29 points and nine assists and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 27 points from 11 of 15 shots in the Warriors’ 130-121 victory over Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Draymond Green had a solid game with 19 assists and 12 rebounds, his career record, adding 11 points to Golden State’s third successive win.
Green credited his teammates for helping him reach the assist mark.
“It means that my teammates are playing well and that we are playing better,” said Green. “I think at the beginning of the year there were things that I saw that the other guys weren’t seeing. But with the repetitions, with the time together, the guys are starting to see that.”
Green focused on redeeming himself after hitting two technical fouls at the end of the game that cost Golden State a 102-100 loss to the Hornets on February 20.
“I don’t necessarily (call it) a revenge game,” he said of Friday’s competition. “A revenge game would be a bit over the top, I would say. It was about me taking over and fixing things. I try to do what I can to help this team win. I can’t just forget what happened last week.”
The Warriors recovered from a 14-point handicap in the fourth quarter to beat the Lakers 115-113 on January 18 in Los Angeles. Curry had 26 points and seven assists and Oubre scored 23.
Schroder led the Lakers with 25 points in defeat. James, who finished with 19 points, lost a 3-point basket in the final horn.
– Field-level media