NBA
Blazers Get Revenge on Lakers in Summer League Championship
Lakers fans have now fallen back to earth (a little) after the big LeBron James signing with their first and only loss of the NBA Summer League in the championship game. Their foe? The team they played last year for the championship last for. The Portland Trailblazers, and it wasn’t pretty. The Blazers walloped the Lakers 91-73 in the rematch.
The Blazers outplayed the Lakers in almost every single category. Portland looked like a well-oiled machine Defensively and offensively. Contributions coming from everyone. The Blazers had balanced scoring with six players scoring in double digits with KJ McDaniels leading the way with 17. They started off hot by ending the first with a 31-19 lead, and the lead only built up from there. Portland’s team defense was on point and tenacious causing 15 Laker turnovers and to hold them to 39% shooting for the entire game. The Blazers outscored the Lakers every quarter except the fourth quarter, but by that point the game was all but lost.
The Lakers night to put it bluntly was just rough. They started off the game with a lot of rushed 3’s and silly turnovers. Their usual stars in Svi Mykhailiuk and the NBA Summer League MVP Josh Hart were non-existent, and at one point Hart was literally non-existent. Portland held Svi to 10 points on 3-10 shooting and Hart to 12 points and 3-12 shooting. Hart came off of a stellar 37 point game the night before in a double OT win over the Cavaliers to being ejected midway through the 4th quarter for back-to-back technicals. Lakers though did show fight in them the entire game and didn’t let down. That is one thing that Luke Walton can take away from his young Lakers team.
What Both Teams Can Take Away
Both teams can take away some nice things away for their respective franchises. Portland’s squad showed great chemistry. Off only a few days of playing with each other, they played unselfishly and smart. The Lakers can take away that they have some serious hidden talent on this squad. MVP Josh Hart can be a special player for the Lakers considering he is more of a scoring guard. Playing along side playmakers like Lonzo Ball, Rajon Rondo, and James, he’ll have plenty of open shots and scoring opportunities.
Notable Player Performances
The Blazers had numerous players that played well, and the Lakers had some who showed a lot of heart. MVP of the game, KJ McDaniels, showed off his NBA experience by shooting 8-14 getting 17 points, 7 rebounds, and block as well all in 20 minutes off the bench. Portland’s big-man Caleb Swanigan showed his presence not with his scoring so much, but with his rebounding and playmaking. He ended the night with 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. With Hart and Mykhailiuk having not so stellar nights other Lakers stepped up. Jeff Ayres intensity to start the third quarter that gave the Lakers a little energy and hope for the rest of the game.
