Coming off a much-needed win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers headed to FTX Arena to take on the Miami Heat.
What the Lakers badly need, especially without the injured Anthony Davis, is wins in bunches, but they were unable to start a winning streak on Wednesday.
What killed them the most was 24 turnovers that led to 31 Miami points. The Lakers actually outrebounded the Heat, 44-37, but they gave up 10 offensive rebounds, which were also a sore spot.
Los Angeles was competitive early, but it started falling behind late in the first quarter and trailed by as many as 22 in the third quarter. The team rallied in the fourth quarter and drew within seven with four minutes left, but it was too little, too late in a 112-98 loss.
LeBron James: B-plus/A-minus
James shot 10-of-18 from the field, and for a change he shot well from 3-point range, going 2-of-5 from that distance, to score 27 points. But he had six turnovers and was ineffective down the stretch.
Was James tired down the stretch? There was a question whether he would suit up for this contest, given it was the second of a back-to-back set for the Lakers. Give James credit for not making any excuses, but he is carrying a large load just two days shy of his 38th birthday.
Thomas Bryant: A-minus/A
Bryant played just 23 minutes as head coach Darvin Ham went with a small lineup in the fourth quarter, possibly in an attempt to increase the tempo of the game. But when Bryant was on the floor, he did rather well.
He missed just one of his six shots to score 11 points while grabbing eight rebounds and blocking one shot.
Patrick Beverley: B
Beverley shot 2-of-7 overall, but he was 2-of-5 from downtown, continuing a positive trend for him over the last few weeks. He also had seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block while committing one turnover.
Dennis Schroder: B-plus
Schroder played a strong game offensively, and he made a couple of big baskets during the Lakers’ fourth quarter run. He finished with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, plus two rebounds and two assists.
Lonnie Walker IV: F
Walker may be in a slump. He was 3-of-10 on Tuesday, and he missed all four of his shots versus Miami, all of which were 3-pointers.
Winning enough games without Davis will take an all-hands-on-deck effort, and Walker will have to be a significant part of that. If he continues to play poorly offensively, it will put a ton of pressure on his teammates, especially James, to take on the type of workload that could tire them out.
Wenyen Gabriel: B
Gabriel got the job done offensively, converting all four of his shot attempts, and he even hit a 3-pointer for the second night in a row.
But L.A. needed more from him on the boards; he got just one rebound in 14 minutes.
Troy Brown Jr.: A
For the second game in a row, Brown gave the Lakers a big boost offensively, especially during their second-half rally. He went 4-of-5 from 3-point land and 5-of-6 overall, giving him 14 points, along with four rebounds, in just 21 minutes.
It would be a nice bonus for the team if Brown somehow maintains a 3-point shooting percentage that is at least around the NBA average.
Juan Toscano-Anderson: B-plus/A-minus
Toscano-Anderson played his first game since Dec. 7, as he had been out with a sprained ankle. In 13 minutes he did not score a single point, but he provided the Lakers with some physicality and defense, and he ended up with seven rebounds and three assists.
It would be a big help for the team if Toscano-Anderson consistently provides it with what he brought on Wednesday, along with some accurate 3-point shooting.
Russell Westbrook: B-minus/B
Westbrook got people involved by getting eight assists in 32 minutes, but he went just 6-of-16 from the field, 2-of-7 from downtown and 1-of-3 from the free-throw line.
He seems to be turning into the type of player who helps his team even when he isn’t shooting well. But with the slim margin of error the Lakers have, they need him to shoot a respectable percentage most of the time, at least until Davis returns.
Austin Reaves: F
This was a rare game Reaves did not help the Lakers in any way. He missed all five of his shot attempts and failed to score. His only statistical contribution in 20 minutes was one assist and one steal.
