The Los Angeles Lakers earned their way back into the win column with a 116-105 victory over the Orlando Magic. Coach Frank Vogel had high praise postgame from the Lakers leader, LeBron James. Since Anthony Davis has been out LeBron James has stepped up his play even more. He has even been starting at Center which he also did against the Magic.
“He’s the most unique player in the history of the game,” Vogel said of James. “We won a championship with him playing point guard two years ago, he’s been a ball-handling wing throughout his career and he’s been playing center for us. It’s pretty remarkable, and for him to be doing it at this stage of his career, it’s even more remarkable.”
LeBron James led the Lakers to victory with 29 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field. He played 34 minutes in total. He knocked down 2-for-7 from the three-point line. James also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. James spoke postgame on how his teammates and himself wanted to set the tone immediately starting this current East Coast road trip.
“We feel like the first game on an East Coast road trip is always the toughest game, and that first half is usually when you’re trying to get your legs back coming off a long flight from LA,” James said. “We knew we could play a lot better in the second half.”
Russell Westbrook bounced back with a good game against the Orlando Magic. Westbrook scored 18 points on 8-for-17 shooting from the field. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists. Westbrook spoke postgame about the slight controversy after Wednesday’s game and how he came into this game mindset wise and bounced back.
“I was upset about (not finishing Wednesday’s game) and I was more upset that we didn’t win the game,” Westbrook said. “I’ve been here doing my job since Day 1 and doing everything asked of me. I want to continue to do that for the betterment of the team.”
More Lakers Contributions
- Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and grabbed three rebounds off the bench.
- Stanley Johnson scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out two assists off the bench.
- Malik Monk scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out two assists off the bench.
The Lakers travel to Miami Sunday to face the Miami Heat. Tip-off is Sunday at 6 pm Eastern.
