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I regret to inform you that the Lakers are back from the dead

LeBron has amped up the offense, Thomas Bryant is making a real impact and things are going well right now.

Jan 9

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Yonker Ramp and His Sweetheart, Frans Hals, 1623

I regret to inform you that the Los Angeles Lakers, who in recent weeks had been so bad they were actually too boring for major sports talk TV, are back from the dead. You may have heard on occassion of his scoring outburst on his 38th birthday that LeBron is taking Father Time to overtime. You may have seen the words “Thomas Bryant” trending. You may have noticed Russell Westbrook breaking records for “most triple-doubles off the bench” — records that definitely did not exist before this season because who in the hell is getting triple-doubles off the bench? Russell Westbrook, that’s who.

The Lakers have won five straight, starting with LeBron’s birthday party in Atlanta. Their latest win is their biggest: it came in a tight defense-optional track meet in Sacramento on Saturday, with the Lakers pulling out thanks to strong work from Bryant and Dennis Schroder. That was a big win because the Kings are one of the 10 teams the Lakers are chasing for a play-in or playoff spot.

Realistically, there are six teams the Lakers are really chasing at this point, lead by the No. 5 Kings (20-18). Then there are the Warriors (20-20), Clippers (21-21), Suns (20-21), Timberwolves (20-21) and Blazers (19-20). The Lakers are 19-21. They are RIGHT THERE in the mix. We should note that two teams are also right behind Los Angeles: the Jazz at 20-23 and Thunder at 18-22. Nine teams for two outright playoff spots plus four play-in slots. Three teams will go on vacation.

The Lakers were 2-10 on Veterans’ Day and 13-20 on Christmas, just three weeks ago. But with the exception of the Nuggets and Grizzlies, no one in the West is locking in a strong record. Truly everyone — including Denver and Memphis — have found themselves mired in the muck with everyone else (save the Rockets and now Spurs). That kept teams like the Lakers alive.

Bryant is a young journeyman who spent the last four years in Washington after spending his rookie year with the Luke Walton, pre-LeBron era Lakers. Bryant is averaging 16 and 10 on 67% in 14 starts this season. He’s exactly the type of ~available~ big man that you need playing with LeBron and/or Westbrook: high muck-it-up energy, strong rebounder, will rim run. Yes, you’d rather have an Anthony Davis or peak Kevin Love or Chris Bosh type. But this is a great little fit until AD comes back, and then you wonder if Darvin Ham will play with having Davis play power forward alongside Bryant at times. I think that’s not enough shooting on the floor, but the Lakers have a very shallow roster of talent. Putting your best five on the floor in this situation makes for some weird lineups.

Westbrook continues to fill a need for supplemental shot creation and playmaking. He’s still committing too many turnovers and taking too many threes, and while he has some great defensive possessions and stretches, no one on this team has played consistently good defense this year. Ham deserves credit for giving Westbrook all the royal jelly he required to accept that bench role early in the season. It looked like an impossible first task for Ham, but it’s working out.

What I’m trying to guard against as an analyst is letting the Lakers’ failures to make any sort of imprint on the last two seasons override what we know LeBron is capable of doing in the postseason. In other words, while the Lakers did flame out in the 2021 first round and didn’t even make the 2022 play-in, if they are in a position to leverage their collective and individual experience and collective and individual excellence in the play-in or playoffs, they are fully capable of ruining some team’s adventure. All things being equal, which team would the Nuggets or Grizzlies want to face coming out of the play-in in the first round of the playoffs: a 41-41 Blazers team with Dame Lillard, a 41-41 Wolves team with Ant Man, Gobert and KAT, a 41-41 Kings team with Sabonis and Fox, a 41-41 Jazz team with LeBrauri Markkanen, or a 41-41 Lakers team with LeBron and AD?

It pains me to say it like you would not believe, but these teams in the West are going to have to bury the Lakers again if they want to be done with them. Don’t just leave them writhing around. Finish the job and knock them out or they might just ruin your spring.

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Scores

FRIDAY

Blazers 99, Pacers 108 — I don’t have much to say about the Blazers right now but Shaedon Sharpe is reportedly in for the Slam Dunk Contest, and that is great news.

Bulls 126, Sixers 112 — Zach LaVine on fire.

Bulls are back?

Knicks 112, Raptors 108 — Tim Bontemps with an interesting piece on the Raptors as a trade deadline player, with a bonus of Fred VanVleet talking about Scottie Barnes’ sophomore struggles.

Nets 108, Pelicans 102

Hornets 138, Bucks 109 — … uh, what?

Charlotte ties the NBA record for most points in the first quarter with 51. Against the Bucks, who had Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday in uniform. Again … what?

Wizards 110, Thunder 127 — 30 in the win for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I knew better than to spend time talking about the Wizards!

Pistons 109, Spurs 121

Clippers 115, Timberwolves 128

Cavaliers 108, Nuggets 121 — Nikola Jokic isn’t just the most creative passer and one of the best rebounders in the league. His shotmaking is ridiculous, too.

Caris LeVert with a high degree of difficulty.

NBA TV @NBATV

Caris LeVert with the TOUGH adjustment 🔥💪🏾

Heat 104, Suns 96

Hawks 114, Lakers 130

SATURDAY

Celtics 121, Spurs 116 — Robert Williams III doesn’t just bend the reality of time. Apparently he twists the laws of physics as well.

Boston Celtics @celtics

Time Lord controlling both ends 🕰

Kinda weird that Time Lord isn’t starting games yet, right? Jayson Tatum has opinions.

Celtics on NBC Sports Boston @NBCSCeltics

"I asked him, 'are you still on minute restriction?' and he was like 'nah.' and I was like 'well get your ass back in the game.'" Jayson Tatum talks about wanting as much time as possible on the floor with Rob Williams 🗣️ #BleedGreen

Jazz 118, Bulls 126 — Good win for the Bulls. But Bulls fans did have to watch Lauri Markkanen do this to Nikola Vucevic.

SportsCenter @SportsCenter

LAURI MARKKANEN, SHEESH😤

Dunk of the Year candidate.

Pelicans 117, Mavericks 127 — Dallas is close to catching New Orleans for No. 3 in the standings. New Orleans didn’t have any of their big three. Anyone else getting worried about Brandon Ingram? It sounds like he’s hoping to play this week.

Magic 115, Warriors 101

Lakers 136, Kings 134 — I hate this sport.

Domantas Sabonis fouling out directly leads to the Trey Lyles turnover because Sabonis would have been on the floor and receiving the ball otherwise. That’s what I choose to believe.
De’Aaron Fox is a wonderful shooter and penetrator in the clutch but that foul on Dennis Schroder with time running out actually hurts me.
I am begging the Kings to get to, like, top 20 in defense. Just top 20!
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SUNDAY

Sixers 123, Pistons 111

Blazers 105, Raptors 117 — Portland’s only a half-game up on the Lakers for No. 10. Yikes.

Hornets 111, Pacers 116 — Myles Turner, hello. Clutch block.

NBA @NBA

WHAT A BLOCK BY MYLES TURNER TO SEAL THE PACERS W 🚫

What a paradox we’re in with the whole Myles Turner situation. Marc Stein reports Turner has declined Indiana's contract extension offers, which should make him available via trade. But the Pacers are again smoking hot (winners of eight of the last 10) and sit No. 6 in the East. It’s really hard to trade your second best player in that position, even if you think they’ll walk in July!

Nets 102, Heat 101 — There’s a lot here. Kevin Durant got injured on this play — no word on whether he’ll miss time or the severity.

Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix

Nets say Kevin Durant (knee) is out for the rest of the game

Bam Adebayo Dunk of the Year candidate.

NBA @NBA

BAM ADEBAYO POSTER 🤯 📲 app.link.nba.com/e/watch_now

Royce O’Neale game-winner? Royce O’Neale game-winner.

Brooklyn Nets @BrooklynNets

ANOTHER game-winner from @BucketsONeale00 ‼️

Jazz 118, Grizzlies 123 — Six straight wins for the Grizzlies, this one without Ja. The team’s big three (Tennessee Three? Triple Threat? Three Little Bears?) of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are now +44 in 82 minutes.

Timberwolves 104, Rockets 96 — Congratulations to the Timberwolves for showing a pulse and winning four straight games here. But we’re here to inform you that Kenyon “K.J.” Martin Jr. has signed up for the Slam Dunk Contest in Utah, and this is good.

Mavericks 109, Thunder 120 — Luka Doncic rest day. Recent win streak made this possible. 33 for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the win. OKC stubbornly is refusing to exit the play-in race, just 1.5 games out.

Cavaliers 112, Suns 98 — Phoenix is deep in hell right now, sliding below .500 for the first time this season. They won 64 games last season. They are on track right now for 40, and have only a half-game cushion in the race for the last play-in race.

Of note regarding Cleveland: Isaac Okoro has been starting at small forward the last three games after his latest spell coming off of the bench. J.B. Bickerstaff has bounced between Okoro, Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade in that spot; Dean Wade should be back from injury soon, so it’ll be interesting to see if Okoro keeps it or Bickerstaff pivots.

Hawks 112, Clippers 108 — Speaking of a deep hell, the Clippers have also lost six straight and sit at .500. They were threatening the No. 1 seed not that long ago. The West is a total mess.

Sick H.O.R.S.E. shot from Kawhi, though.

SportsCenter @SportsCenter

Can't believe this shot from Kawhi went in 😮