The Los Angeles Lakers won another extra time against the Mavericks on Wednesday night, improving their record in such games to 5-1 during the season.
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Los Angeles have played the most games in extra time this season, in addition to the win over Dallas, they also beat the San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. The Lakers stars will probably want to avoid going through many overtime games, but at least when they got there, they displayed a tenacity that helped them win.
The Lakers’ roster has (correctly) received some criticism since the season began – they’ve been up and down, they’ve been told they’re too old and many have wondered if LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis can work.
But there is one thing that needs to be said about the veteran football clubs: they find ways to win.
Yes, rookie Austin Reaves took 3 points with 0.9 seconds left in the half to complete the deal, but the reality is that the Lakers continue to win their overtime matches and that’s important as they look forward to their season passing with some positive momentum.
James scored 24 points, Westbrook added 23 and Anthony Davis scored his sixth double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds after missing two games with a sore left knee.
Their first – and only – loss in an overtime game was against the Sacramento Kings, a 141-137 loss in a three-overtime game.
Despite playing without Luka Doncic, who missed his third game in a row with an ankle injury, the Mavs continued to run 15-0 to start the second half and lead the Lakers to finish the half. one, 50-47. However, Los Angeles ramped up its defenses, keeping the Mavericks at just 39.8 percent of the shot for the game.
“Our defense is definitely growing. We’re getting better,” Coach Frank Vogel says after the game.
The Lakers are 6-3 in their past nine games, a period in which their defensive ratings have gone up. fifth best in the league. The Lakers have now moved into 16-13 and are slowly climbing back up the Western Conference rankings.
Their season may not have been completely saved yet, but their resilience in these recent games has at least ensured that they will be in a position to compete at the end of this season.
