The Lakers defeated the Kings at home with a score of 132-122, completing a sweep this season. It must be said that the Lakers gave the Kings an opportunity. When James was present, DeRozan was suppressed by his bloodline. In this game, James was absent due to illness, and DeRozan went on a shooting spree, scoring 25 points with 12 out of 17 shots, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, but they still lost. We can only say that you were given a chance, but you didn't make use of it. So far, the Kings have suffered six consecutive losses with a record of 13 wins and 19 losses, making them the team with the most significant decline in the West this year.
Why don't we mention the Pelicans? It's because Zion and Ingram are both injured, so they have an excuse. The Timberwolves have also declined, but their record is at least 16 wins and 14 losses, ranking eighth in the West. If the Timberwolves make a strong comeback later in the season, they might climb up the rankings. However, the Kings have already lost their initiative. The key issue is that the Kings are the only team from last season's strong teams that remained healthy and intact yet had a terrible record. With players like Fox, Sabonis, and the addition of DeRozan, along with Keegan Murray's ability to attack,
this lineup should not have placed the Kings twelfth in the West. Last season, the Kings had a record of 19 wins and 13 losses in their first 32 games, ranking fifth in the West. The Lakers, on the other hand, are surprising. They always do this: when everyone underestimates the Lakers, they quietly rise again. When people start to favor the Lakers, their record plummets dramatically. They repeatedly torture their fans in this way, yet the Lakers' record has reached 18 wins and 13 losses, rising to fifth in the West. The Lakers previously experienced being tenth in the West, but then they quietly climbed back up to fifth, which is inexplicable.
The Lakers' current record has surpassed last year's 16 wins and 15 losses, allowing Redick to catch his breath. Previously, when Ham led the Bucks to win the cup championship, Redick's mentality almost broke down. Now that the Lakers have made a miraculous recovery and broken last season's opening record, it can be considered as giving James a reassurance, since LeBron likes Redick very much. As we mentioned earlier, after James followed Redick's advice, the Lakers were completely rejuvenated, and it was all about taking breaks.
At the beginning of the season, James said he wanted to play all 82 regular-season games without rest, no matter how tired he got. This had the negative effect of rendering an exhausted James ineffective on the court, to the point where Redick repeatedly said he had no vitality. However, James pulled back just in time, recognizing reality and no longer being stubborn. For the sake of the Lakers, James retracted his statement and began to take breaks. The results were excellent, and Redick lavished praise on James, especially noting the difference in offensive and defensive effectiveness brought about by having energy. In fact, James should trust his teammates more; the Lakers' teammates are not bad.
Look at the Lakers' performance today: with James absent, Reeves took over the organizing work, playing for 43 minutes, shooting 9 out of 16, including 3 out of 4 three-pointers, scoring an impressive 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 16 assists. Then there's Davis with 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists, Hachimura with 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks, Christie with 16 points, Knick with 18 points off the bench, and Water with 9 points and 4 assists. The Lakers demonstrated a "all-for-one" effect, while the Kings relied on DeRozan, with Fox scoring 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 12 assists, Monk with 20 points, and Sabonis with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists.
As Davis said after the game, what do we fear when James is not around? James has long said that the Lakers belong to AD (Anthony Davis), but he has been reluctant to step up. Now that James has chosen to rest, AD has taken on this role.
Davis said after the game, "With LeBron out, I started leading the team. Our defense wasn't great at the start today, basically trading blows with the Kings. Then I told my teammates that we need to improve our defense and pass more unselfishly. After that, we gained the upper hand, even though we relaxed in the fourth quarter and gave the Kings a chance to gain momentum. That's unacceptable, but we still won the game because during the timeout, I reiterated the importance of focusing on defense. I told my teammates that we can score, but we must stop them and focus on defense."