The Lakers’ 120-106 Tuesday night victory over the Timberwolves in Los Angeles was a perfect example — and a reminder — of why they have been successful in the games Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have playedwhen LeBron James hasn’t been available.
It’s less about James, and more about clarity.
The pecking order is clearer with Dončić and Reaves playing next to lower-usage role players.
And those role players make the game-changing hustle plays that add up throughout a game.
Dončić (31 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds) and Austin Reaves (31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) once again led the way with a combined 62 points, 19 assists and eight rebounds.
But on a night where the shots didn’t fall early, it was the hustle plays from Deandre Ayton (14 points, 12 rebounds), Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia that made up for the slow start.
The Lakers are now 10-2 in games Doncic and Reaves play without James.
The Lakers leaped the Timberwolves in the standings, moving to No. 4 in the West with a 40-25 record.
The Timberwolves also have a 40-25 record, but the Lakers swept Minnesota in the regular season series, 3-0, after beating the Timberwolves twice in October.
When Ayton grabbed an offensive rebound at the 10:45 mark of the second quarter — his third offensive board and eighth rebound of the game through the opening 13 ¼ minutes — before converting a putback layup to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 25-20.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
