It wasn’t a very high scoring affair, but the game last night between the Los Angeles Lakers (16-12) and Atlanta Hawks (18-11) was still an exciting one, at least for Lakers fans. In their first game back at Staples Center after their annual “Grammy trip,” the Lakers defeated the Hawks 86-78 last night in a balanced effort.
The Lakers led at halftime, 42-41, after a last second, double-hesitation three-pointer by Metta World Peace (yes, we made up “double-hesitation” just for Metta), and never looked back.
Although the score wasn’t very high, the Lakers seemed to gain energy through various defensive plays, a more free flowing offense, and the play of Pau Gasol.
Gasol led the Lakers with 20 points (9-22 shooting), 13 rebounds (eight offensive), and four blocked shots. His front court mate, Andrew Bynum, had 15 points (7-10 shooting), 15 rebounds (four offensive), and two blocked shots. Kobe Bryant struggled from the field (10 points on just 5-18 shooting with four rebounds, and four assists), and the “Mini-Mamba,” Andrew Goudelock also had 10 points, but on a much better shooting percentage (4-6 from the field overall, with 2-2 from three-point range).
Not a fan of stats, Metta decided to prove to everyone that he can have solid numbers, and he did, as he finished with 10 points on four-of-seven shooting, including two three-pointers. He seemed to be sparked by the three-pointer mentioned above. He even had two nice dunks; the first a double-handed dunk in transition, and the second a thunderous right-handed slam after crossing over Vladimir Radmanovic. He attributed the dunks to changing his shoes before the game from high-top sneakers to low-top ones.
Matt Barnes scored seven points and pulled down five rebounds, but his hustle won’t show up in the stat sheet. Barnes’ relentless energy and active play were huge positives for the Lakers in last night’s victory.
Troy Murphy (six points, four assists, three rebounds) and Steve Blake (five points, six assists, three rebounds) also had solid performances as well, in roughly 30 minutes of play apiece. Meanwhile, starting point guard Derek Fisher (three points, three rebounds, three assists) got to take it easy with just 18 minutes of play.
As for the Hawks, they were led by Jeff Teague, who managed 18 points. Joe Johnson (five assists, three rebounds), and Josh Smith (nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks, two steals) had 15 points apiece. Former Laker (and unprofessional snowboarder) Vladimir Radmanovic had nine points (3-6 from three) and six rebounds as Willie Green was the next highest scorer with six.
Tracy McGrady and Kirk Hinrich had five points apiece, while Marvin Williams had just four. The Lakers’ big men disrupted Hawks’ center Zaza Pachulia, as he managed just one point on 0-2 shooting, while grabbing nine rebounds and garnering four steals.
Now, let’s discuss what to take away from the victory.
Next Page: The Breakdown
With the Lakers’ 86-78 victory of the Atlanta Hawks, there are a few key aspects to examine more closely.
Pau Gasol – Gasol had a great, aggressive game for the Lakers on the road in Boston last Thursday, and the Lakers won. Gasol had an aggressive game last night, and the Lakers won. Notice a trend? In both games, Gasol attempted 20 or more shots, and also had 13-plus rebounds. With Gasol, it seems to be a matter of being aggressive. He may not always get the touches he wants within the offense, but when he is aggressive, he manages offensive rebounds (eight big ones last night), which in turn lead to put-backs and tip-ins. Similarly, when he’s aggressive, his teammates are more inclined to throw him the ball as well.
It’s no secret that Pau Gasol needs to be aggressive for the Lakers to be successful, the question is simply can he do it on a consistent basis? As the season progresses and the trade deadline passes, Gasol should feel more comfortable about his situation with the Lakers and focus purely on basketball and getting wins. It’s definitely good to see him picking up his level of play as of late.
Rebounds – We visit this subject after each game, and that will probably continue. When the Lakers rebound well, they win most of the time. Tonight, the Lakers out-rebounded the Hawks 52-47, but were out-rebounded on the offensive glass, 17-14. Gasol and Bynum did their respective jobs, combining for 28 rebounds (12 offensive), but the Lakers continue to have problems with giving up offensive rebounds and second chance points. Luckily, last night they were still able to get the win.
Turnovers – The Lakers appeared to be looking for one another (which is a good thing), and had 20 assists in the process. But, they also had 17 turnovers. They must address this and clean up the turnovers going forward.
Bench – The Lakers received solid production from each reserve that played last night. Andrew Goudelock continued his efficient, aggressive scoring with 10 points in less than 14 minutes, and Matt Barnes’ high level of activity was a huge boost in just over 21 minutes. However, Steve Blake and Troy Murphy played big minutes (approximately 30 each), which allowed none of the starters to log more than 35 minutes.
Goudelock and Blake were key players in the fourth quarter, hitting big shots that helped maintain a Lakers’ double-digit lead down the stretch until Mike Brown eventually brought back Kobe and the rest of the starters to finish out the game. Steve Blake’s six assists were also a huge plus, as he looked to control the second unit and get other players going; alleviating the pressure off of Bryant and the other starters.
The bench as a whole didn’t score a whole lot with 28 points, but they did manage to hold the Hawks’ bench to just 25. They played with a purpose and looked to be aggressive while they were out there. More importantly, they played well in the fourth quarter. This type of play, obviously, is a must in order for the Lakers to be successful down the road.
Overall, the Lakers played a solid game. They defended well, and although they didn’t score a lot, looked much more fluid offensively than they have in the past. If Pau Gasol can continue to be aggressive and involved, and the bench can become more consistent, the Lakers have a lot to look forward to. If they can continue to rebound well and clean up their turnovers, the Lakers give themselves a chance to win each and every game.