Over the last two years, the Los Angeles Lakers have had very few easy blowout victories.
Although they played well for a period of time earlier this season, it was still very rare for them to win a game by at least 15 or 20 points.
So far, in the short amount of time since trading for D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba, the Lakers have looked much more potent. They defeated the New Orleans Pelicans by 18 points last week, and on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors, they turned a scant three-point halftime lead into a 24-point advantage with over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
According to some lip-readers, Anthony Davis was thoroughly impressed at having such a big lead with so much time remaining, and LeBron James seemed to agree (h/t ClutchPoints).
Anthony Davis: “I can’t remember the last time we were up 24 with this much time.”
LeBron James: “Never, never”
(Via @Spence_DFS, h/t @RichStapless)pic.twitter.com/iJbFcVYz6M
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) February 24, 2023
Yes, Golden State was without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, but the Lakers didn’t have D’Angelo Russell for most of the contest, while James shot 5-and-20 and Davis only mustered 12 points.
Running up a big lead despite those disadvantages is something good and great teams tend to do, and it’s been a while since the Lakers have been at that level.
