The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers with a score of 122-110. LeBron James, in his first game against his former team, had a record of 19 wins and 4 losses against the Cavaliers. He started the game with a series of three-point shots that penetrated the Cavaliers' defense and led the team to catch up. The older players took the lead, and the younger players followed suit, with electric fans and Milton scoring their first points for the Lakers through dunks and corner threes.
After the departure of Rondo, Schroder naturally took over the output on the guard line, making mid-range jump shots, driving layups, and breaking through to shake off the defense for easy baskets. With LeBron's one-handed dunk, the Lakers launched an 8-0 counterattack wave! At 40 years old, he can still move quickly and use his strong body to open the way and punish opponents, which is unprecedented and probably will not be seen again in history.
However, the Lakers' glory was short-lived as the Cavaliers gradually recovered from being stunned and showed their strength as the top team in the East; they combined inside and outside play to take back the lead with a 9-0 run. Allen performed various moves under Davis' watchful eye, continuously scoring to stop the Lakers.
In the third quarter, the Cavaliers expanded their lead, with Strus setting up a platform for a continuous downpour of three-pointers. As the Lakers were about to experience another third-quarter collapse, Davis stepped up in time to regain control, hitting a three-pointer at the top of the arc to complete a 10-0 counterattack!
In the final quarter, it became a battle between the new king and the old king. Mitchell challenged James from the outside, making a big crossover and then nailing a three-pointer. LeBron responded with a bulldozer-like counterattack, driving past Mobley for a strong finish!
It must be said that once Mitchell finds his form from the bubble days, he really becomes unstoppable, cleanly tearing through the defenses of Reddish and Hachimura in just a few steps. The Lakers couldn't contain not only Mitchell but also Allen, who dominated the paint at will.
Allen's steady performance gave the Cavaliers an absolute advantage in the last minute. Even though LeBron made a chase-down three-pointer in the counterattack after a long-distance dash, it had little effect on the situation. It must be admitted that it is now the era of young players, and the old man is truly "heart willing but lacking in strength."
In the end, the Cavaliers held off the Lakers' counterattack pressure and took the initiative as visitors, winning their eighth consecutive victory and sending Schroder, who scored 35 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, tying his career-high in points, into the empty-cut group.
Looking at the whole game, it was reasonable for the Lakers to be unable to turn the tide. Analyzing the battle situation, the Cavaliers have maintained an undefeated record in the West since the start of the season, and not even the top three teams in the West could get an advantage over them. Looking at the lineup arrangement, there is a visible gap in the dominance of the frontcourt between the two sides. The delicate Davis was somewhat overwhelmed by the double towers' repeated trampling; Allen delivered a performance reminiscent of Shaquille O'Neal, going 14 for 12 with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks, while Mobley was no less impressive, going 8 for 14 with 20 points and 6 rebounds.
The Lakers are already looking to optimize the weakness at the five position and are brewing a second trade. Notable journalist Michael Scotto discussed the Lakers' latest developments:
"After finding wing defenders like Finney-Smith, the Lakers' next step will be to continue pursuing backup centers. They will use the remaining future second-round pick assets to pursue Valanciunas or other centers, and Vincent is expected to remain in trade discussions."
Speaking of Vincent, he can still be used, so shouldn't the priority be to deal with Van der Biao, who has been injured and occupies a reinforcement spot...?
Finally, regarding the rankings, the Lakers could have taken advantage of the Clippers being slaughtered by the Spurs to overtake them, but unfortunately, things did not go as planned, and the two teams remained unchanged in the sixth and seventh spots in the West. As for the Suns, they dropped out of the playoff zone today after being defeated by the Grizzlies...
This Grizzlies team is absurd, with as many as nine players out due to injury, yet they relied on a severely depleted lineup to lead all the way and defeat the Suns, who had all three of their stars playing, which is truly astonishing.
