More often than not, NBA groups do no matter they’ll to struggle off distractions. Monday, the Lakers couldn’t have been extra thrilled to have one.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis needed to evacuate their properties. JJ Redick misplaced his. The rebuild hasn’t even begun, one other spherical of winds preserving red-shaded swaths of town on edge.
However Redick, one of the public faces of those fires, knew this could be an opportunity to consider one thing else, short-term as that is likely to be.
“I think a group functions best when you draw strength from each other. And the way my players, my staff, the organization has supported, rallied around me — rallied around the city, clearly — loved on my family, there’s real strength in that. And that’s the sort of receiving of strength. Then it’s our job to go give strength, and give hope and give joy,” Redick mentioned pregame. “Sports are a lot of things and sports can certainly provide an escape and a distraction and hopefully sports, and tonight, can provide some joy as well.”
By that lens, this was all a hit — followers soaking within the moments the place James and Davis tried to resolve Victor Wembanyama’s 7-foot-3 body after fires postponed the Lakers final two video games.
The distraction from the skin world, the precise recreation, although, once more uncovered a number of the Lakers’ points contained in the basketball one, a crew once more attacking them with extra physicality and toughness, the Spurs deflating the gang and surging to a 126-102 win, the Lakers’ third straight loss.
Davis and James mixed to attain 48 on 20-of-29 taking pictures, however the Lakers’ supporting forged struggled. Austin Reaves received focused by the Spurs’ offense after they pulled Davis away from the rim. They pushed and shoved via Rui Hachimura and Max Christie.
And the Lakers supplied little struggle in return.
The loss got here with their offense unraveling within the fourth quarter when the crew scored solely 13 factors.
Hassle, although, got here late within the third, the Lakers up 10 factors earlier than San Antonio blitzed them for 10 straight factors with out Redick or the bench calling a timeout.
Along with their first recreation again after the wildfire postponements, the Lakers went forward with a deliberate celebration for his or her previous.
At halftime, the crew retired Michael Cooper’s No. 21, the culminating achievement after Cooper’s profession earned him a spot within the 2024 Basketball Corridor of Fame class.
Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, Byron Scott and Pat Riley had been among the many former Lakers who had been readily available for the ceremony.
Cooper had been part of some their celebrations; this was his flip.
Michael Cooper, middle, is mobbed by Pat Riley, left, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Vlade Divac and Kurt Rambis after his jersey was retired at halftime.
(Kevork Djansezian / Related Press)
“I’ve always tried to play the game the right way. And it’s such a good feeling that people recognize that,” Cooper mentioned. “Although I’ve always been on a team with a lot of mega stars, so sometimes I got overshadowed, but that didn’t bother me because it was about the body of work that we were putting together and winning championships. So for my turn to be, come to the plate and step up here and be on the podium by myself with everybody looking is very, very good. Because again, like I said, this came out of nowhere.”
That celebration was one of many remaining few feel-good moments of the evening. Nevertheless it wasn’t the final.
As Lakers gamers walked off the courtroom deflated, Redick headed to midcourt the place Wembanyama and Chris Paul gave Redick’s sons, Knox and Kai, their jerseys. The youngsters misplaced plenty of treasured items of memorabilia within the Palisades hearth.
It was a reminder that Monday, again to basketball was nonetheless rocky. However at the very least it was again to one thing.
