For the second time in three nights the Lakers overcame ridiculous odds to win a game, this time coming back from a 25-point halftime deficit to beat the Trail Blazers 121-112 on Sunday night.
The game started with the Lakers unable to miss from the field, pushing out to an early 18-4 lead on 6-6 shooting from the field and 2-2 from the foul line. Led by Thomas Bryant and LeBron James, the Lakers bombed away from the outside to put the Blazers on their heels and take control of the game early.
The Blazers ultimately settled in, however, and systematically cut into the Lakers’ lead over the rest of the quarter to cut their deficit in half and close out the quarter only down by seven. And it was in that 2nd quarter that this game turned on its head for the first time when Portland went on its own run to seize control.
Over the course of those twelve minutes, the Blazers were the team that couldn’t miss. Hitting 14 of their 23 attempts from the field (9-12 from behind the arc) while also hitting eight of their nine free throw attempts, the Blazers outscored the Lakers 45-13 in the quarter. They feasted on seven Lakers turnovers to get out into the open court and then generated open shot after open shot to not only take over the game, but to dispirit the Lakers in the process.
In the 2nd half, however, everything started to change and it started with the Lakers defense. No longer content to sit back and let the Blazers dictate the terms of the game, Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schröder (who also had 24 points, six rebounds and eight assists) started to pick up the ball full court and pressure the Blazers’ guards. This disrupted the flow of Portland’s offense and enabled the Lakers to get the defensive stops they did not get in that 2nd quarter.
The Lakers then did what they do best, turning those stops into transition chances where they could attack the paint in the open court. Like he was early in the game, LeBron set the tone here, getting to the rim to finish with force and put Portland back on their heels. Slowly but surely, the Lakers chipped away at Portland’s lead and before they knew it the Lakers were all the way back in it.
LeBron would finish the night with 37 points on 14-24 shooting (along with 11 rebounds and 4 assists), with many of those baskets coming in the paint after that early barrage of three-pointers gave the team that initial advantage.
As the Lakers not only clawed their way back into the game, but ultimately came all the way back to take the lead, Bryant was also huge. TB gave the Lakers their first lead of the 2nd half with one of his four three-pointers made, enroute to his season high 31-points on an incredibly efficient 12-15 shooting.
But he was also great in the paint, scoring on a variety of hooks, layups, and monster putbacks to help the team close out the game.
After the game, Bryant summed up the team’s mentality to come all the way back from such a huge deficit well.
“We always tell ourselves the game is about ups and downs, and it’s a game of runs”, he said. “You’re going to be down some, you’re going to be up some, and we got to remain resilient out there. Our poise and our patience in the 2nd half really helped us.”
The Lakers will look to bring more of that same mentality, and maybe some much deserved confidence from these recent comeback wins, when they’re back in action on Tuesday against the Clippers.
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