After several tough losses, the Los Angeles Lakers showed some signs of life with their play against the Toronto Raptors. Russell Westbrook and LeBron James had one of the best games as a duo this season.
LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Lakers’ wake-up call came by their two superstars in Canada. The Lakers grind out to victory with a big defensive play in the last moments of the regulation.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK AT THE DEATH pic.twitter.com/zI4Eycbi1t — Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 19, 2022
“Big-time IQ there on his part and a big-time shot by a big-time player,” James told reporters after the game. The Lakers put a stop to an 11-game losing streak in the road.
“To be able to come in a very hostile environment and win a basketball game it was big for our team.”
The Raptors were coming off a great run of five games, having won all of them to keep themselves in play for the sixth seed, which will directly qualify them in the playoffs.
“I got 23,000 points. How about that?”, Westbrook said on his confidence making the shot despite missing badly in the previous attempt.
The Lakers will need more of this confidence for the next game in the road against the Washington Wizards Sunday. James scored 50 points the last time Lakers faced Washington earlier this month.
Westbrook recorded his 10th triple-double this season in Friday’s contest. He had only four turnovers in 41 minutes of play.
”He really competed,” Vogel told reporters. ”I thought tonight he did a great job of really leading the team in terms of organizing our action, not just making plays himself but getting our group organized.”
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