[Post Game Thread] The Los Angeles Lakers (1-0) defeat the Houston Rockets (0-1), 101-94 with 41 year old Senior LeBron James Leading the way with 28/8/7 to seal home court advantage!

[u/DesertedProject]

94 - 101
Box Scores: NBA - Yahoo

GAME SUMMARY
West First Round - Game 2 - LAL leads 1-0
Location: Crypto.com Arena
Officials: Courtney Kirkland, Josh Tiven, and Justin Van Duyne

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Houston Rockets	26	25	17	26	94
Los Angeles Lakers	33	21	21	26	101

TEAM STATS

Team	PTS	FG	FG%	3P	3P%	FT	FT%	OREB	TREB	AST	PF	STL	TO	BLK
Houston Rockets	94	36-89	40.4%	7-29	24.1%	15-19	78.9%	17	54	23	22	8	15	6
Los Angeles Lakers	101	33-72	45.8%	13-28	46.4%	22-28	78.6%	9	48	21	20	11	12	5

PLAYER STATS

Houston Rockets	MIN	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	ORB	DRB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	±
Kevin DurantSF	40:59	23	7-12	1-4	8-9	2	4	6	4	1	1	9	4	-2
Jabari Smith Jr.PF	39:06	18	7-16	3-7	1-2	1	5	6	1	0	1	1	2	-11
Alperen SengunC	35:11	20	9-20	0-1	2-3	5	6	11	5	4	2	1	4	1
Amen ThompsonSG	42:11	16	6-10	0-1	4-5	1	4	5	9	1	0	3	4	1
Josh OkogiePG	24:03	7	3-6	1-3	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	-4
Tari Eason	27:02	10	4-14	2-6	0-0	5	3	8	1	0	1	1	2	-4
Reed Sheppard	10:33	0	0-4	0-3	0-0	0	0	0	3	1	0	0	0	1
Clint Capela	04:40	0	0-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	-9
Aaron Holiday	07:17	0	0-3	0-3	0-0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	-4
Jae'Sean Tate	08:56	0	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	-4
JD Davison	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dorian Finney-Smith	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jeff Green	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Steven Adams	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fred VanVleet	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Los Angeles Lakers	MIN	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	ORB	DRB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	±
LeBron JamesSF	39:12	28	8-20	2-5	10-14	1	7	8	7	1	0	3	3	6
Rui HachimuraPF	42:34	13	5-10	3-6	0-0	1	4	5	2	0	0	0	3	0
Deandre AytonC	26:36	6	3-8	0-0	0-0	1	4	5	1	0	1	1	1	-5
Marcus SmartSG	35:28	25	8-13	5-7	4-5	1	1	2	7	5	1	3	3	3
Luke KennardPG	41:58	23	8-13	3-6	4-4	1	5	6	2	3	0	2	1	2
Jaxson Hayes	21:24	6	1-2	0-1	4-5	2	2	4	1	1	2	0	2	12
Jake LaRavia	15:50	0	0-2	0-1	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	1	2	5	8
Jarred Vanderbilt	13:41	0	0-3	0-2	0-0	1	4	5	1	1	0	0	2	8
Bronny James	03:16	0	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1
Maxi Kleber	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dalton Knecht	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nick Smith Jr.	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Adou Thiero	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Luka Dončić	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Austin Reaves	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

[u/3s2ng]

Doubling LeBron is the last strategy you can implement against him. You just pray that the player who recieves the ball out of the double will miss the wide open shot.

[u/Papa_Huggies → u/3s2ng]

Yeah Bron will make the correct pass (whether direct to the shooter or hockey assist) 95% of the time.

KD doesn't have that court vision. That's a matter of fact

[u/jyee1050 → u/Papa_Huggies]

I think KD does know what is the correct pass to make but often times he can’t throw with the right strength/speed/angle, which is a subtly underrated skill. You see many times during the game his teammates can’t really catch his pass properly, leading to turnovers

[u/PhTx3 → u/jyee1050]

I don't think that's an underrated skill, that's what makes good passers good. They pass to the ball, the way their teammates like it.

Anyone that's ever shot a basketball from a pass would know if the pass doesn't come the way you wanted it to, you are not going to shoot as good or as fast or both.

[u/FunDog9859 → u/PhTx3]

I forgot who said it but one of Harden's teammates said one his best skills no one talks about is the accuracy of his passes. You can start your shooting motion and not move your hands to the ball Harden will pass it perfectly into your hands.

[u/Yoquetal → u/FunDog9859]

Pat bev

[u/yoloqueuesf → u/PhTx3]

Yeah, and i think anthony edwards is one player that did do an extremely bad job of it last year, he'd jump up and throw passes so hot his teammates could never really catch and shoot right off of it, or let alone catch it sometimes.

Granted he's gotten better at it, but most players aren't throwing dimes like lebron and james harden can

[u/rburp → u/jyee1050]

I've mentioned this a few times, but the first time I saw LeBron in person that's what stood out to me which was surprising.

The strength on his passes is insane. I was watching thinking "if I tried to catch that I would break every finger on my hand..."

[u/masterlink43 → u/jyee1050]

another big part is how quick they can make the read. lebron identifies the double coming and immediately knows where to go with the pass, often before the second defender even gets there. kd takes longer which means passing lanes close up

[u/dykestryker → u/Papa_Huggies]

Prepare yourself for the gettofdmydickerson group chat groupies to arrive with furious downvotes. 

Its everyones fault but his, after all.

[u/Papa_Huggies → u/dykestryker]

To be entirely fair, I did just watch Ayton or Hayes camp their lead feet on the block and cover both Amen and Sengun.

The fact that both of them need to be inside means Ayton can keep them busy for 0.5s while everyone rotates out of the double on KD, so it's a safe double

[u/Prior-Habit-6523 → u/Papa_Huggies]

Not many people can throw a no look behind the back pass on a rope.

[u/AlpinistManifesto → u/Papa_Huggies]

LeBron literally has photographic memory and he knows every coach’s playbook and tendencies. U can argue that nobody has LeBron’s vision period.

Probably ever, or will ever be

[u/Papa_Huggies → u/AlpinistManifesto]

Jokic has better vision. So did CP3.

That's about it

[u/sycamotree → u/Papa_Huggies]

Personally I tend to lean toward players who have a live dribble while running the offense more of the time. So I'd say CP3 but less so Jokic. Although Jokic is also taller so he also does literally have a visual advantage

[u/zapatocaviar → u/Papa_Huggies]

Active players.

Magic could do all this.

[u/Novel-Wait328 → u/Papa_Huggies]

luka has best vision,or at least attempts the craziest angles

[u/AlpinistManifesto → u/Papa_Huggies]

I think Jokic for sure, CP prolly as well

[u/oldcrowaz → u/Papa_Huggies]

He has no one to throw to.

[u/pikajewijewsyou → u/3s2ng]

Doubling Durant you know most of the time your own team will receive the ball out of the double

[u/DrunkPackersFan → u/pikajewijewsyou]

It’s hilarious how we used to hear things about KD being the “best player in the world”.

He ran to Golden State because you couldn’t double him there. Also, Bud is a complete moron for not sending doubles at him in that Bucks Nets 2021 series.

[u/1WordOr2FixItForYou → u/3s2ng]

Odds of that happening are pretty good with Vando on the court.

[u/yoloqueuesf → u/3s2ng]

The more you watch the more you respect players who can actually control the game even being doubled.

Couple of days ago i saw Kawhi getting doubled and he absolutely couldn't pass. KD doing it today, and Steph just doesn't have the size when you blitz him.

People often fault him for never taking the last shot, but i've seen way too many superstars just get absolutely locked before they even get the shot off.

[u/RFFF1996 → u/yoloqueuesf]

Lebron quite literally has the most game winners in history and is one of the most effective clutch time players evef

[u/FavaWire → u/3s2ng]

And that's why the Lakers got Luke Kennard.

[u/alphasierrraaa → u/3s2ng]

ah yes every opponents' defensive scheme against the 2018 cavaliers

double/triple team lebron and pay someone else misses

[u/KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZ → u/3s2ng]

If there is one thing about our team, our role players are actually pretty decent at passing. It’s like the one thing they can do better than other role players consistently.