Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press
The Los Angeles Lakers continued to prepare for the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season with a 119-112 exhibition victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday at HP Field House in Florida.
Los Angeles, which will enter the restart as one of the league’s top championship contenders, threw its first shot at the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday 108-104. He produced a strong overall performance on Saturday, shooting 56.9 percent from the field while holding the Magic at 34.3 percent.
Orlando suffered its second consecutive loss after a 99-90 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. He’ll start playing in the regular season inside the bubble as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, 5.5 games ahead of the Washington Wizards.
Of note, Lakers star Anthony Davis left the game after being hit in the right eye during the first half. He did not return, finishing with nine points, 10 rebounds and a block in nine minutes.
Notable statistics
LeBron James (LAL): 20 PTS, 7 AST
Anthony Davis (LAL): 9 PTS, 10 REB
Kyle Kuzma (LAL): 25 PTS, 7 REB
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (LAL): 17 PTS
DJ Augustin (ORL): 21 PTS, 5 AST
Aaron Gordon (ORL): 14 PTS
Nikola Vucevic (ORL): 10 PTS, 6 REB
Michael Carter-Williams (ORL): 15 PTS, 8 REB
Kuzma looks ready for a big bubble hit
James and Davis will need to dominate the coming months if the Lakers are to navigate the loaded Western Conference and pursue the 17th franchise championship. However, they are going to need help, and that is the Lakers’ biggest question mark in Orlando.
Mike Trudell @ @LakersReporter
Anthony Davis will not return to this game after being hit in the eye in the first Q.
Kuzma was the only LA player other than the team’s superstar duo to accumulate more than 10 points per game when the game was halted on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic. He averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 54 games after missing the early stages of the season with a foot injury.
It could make the 25-year-old Michigan native the ultimate X-factor in the bubble.
the Los Angeles Lakers @ @Lakers
Kuz, 25, can not miss 🎂 https://t.co/vobu1J4XNt
If he plays as a third star, the Lakers will be an incredibly difficult start given his top-level talent and depth elsewhere on the list. If he’s in trouble, the burden on James and Davis may prove too much to bear over the course of a playoff career.
However, Kuzma downplayed that line of thinking on Friday.
“Honestly, I don’t even think about it, and I don’t even care,” he told reporters. “It’s about team play. This is how we approach it. Obviously, I can score and get my own bucket, but we just try to play it the right way.”
Laker Film Room @ @LakerFilmRoom
Fournier sniffs out AD’s backdoor launch attempt, so Kuz appears after setting up the screen and punches all 3 for the @Lakers. Nice job of flowing from one option to the next. https://t.co/vzqEgADEk5
Kuzma had nine points and seven rebounds despite struggling with his shot (4 of 13 from the field) against the Mavs. His shot returned on Saturday, making his first four three-point attempts and finishing with five marks past the arc as part of 10-of-13 shooting.
It’s a promising sign with the Lakers slated to restart the game Thursday against rival Clippers.
Cold shots of Magic becoming a concern
Orlando’s advantage of reaching Coronavirus’ shortened end to the regular season is substantial, but he can’t afford his offensive problems to carry over into meaningful games if he wants to secure a playoff spot without the need for a play-in tournament. in the East.
The Magic must be more than four games ahead of the Wizards to qualify directly. Anything less would force a play-in tournament. It is the same scenario for the Brooklyn Nets, who are half a game ahead of Orlando. Two of the three teams will reach the postseason.
Orlando Magic @ @OrlandoMagic
Three-point plays. Two different ways @ augustinDj14 https://t.co/sg289Ul1Ew
Orlando’s competition on the exhibition list has been tough, but lack of offensive prowess remains a concern. He shot 42.1 percent from the field and made just five of his 28 three-point rushing attempts against the Clippers.
Head coach Steve Clifford told reporters after the loss that the situation will be a work in progress as he realizes which players are ready to start next week.
“We have some guys who could, I think looking at it, they are ready to take a step and play more minutes. We have other guys who are not close to where they should be. So I think it would be all the teams. Obviously you still have to go in that sense. “
Orlando made just seven of its 39 triples on Saturday.
Orlando Magic @ @OrlandoMagic
His reminder that @ Double0AG makes killing like these look easy. https://t.co/KpWkldcmIo
The Lakers will have leeway early in the restart as they have already secured a postseason berth. The same cannot be said of magic. In turn, Clifford may be forced to rely more on the hot hand than the players who stood out before the four-month layoff.
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