Official Game Thread: Lakers at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“The One That Got Away. Ugh! Smh…”

 

There are times when I wonder whether Darvin Ham knows what he’s doing.

Last night, for instance. 37 minutes in Houston for 39-year-old LeBron James? Doesn’t the Los Angeles Lakers coach understand, when there’s a game the next night, one time zone to the East versus our haphazard Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Spectrum SportsNet in LAX), that the Rockets game is the one to minutes-restrict when you need to ensure a back-to-back road win?

And then I thought, no, Ham’s lowkey a genius. Win or lose against the Rockets (the Lakers lost, 135-119 to drop back to .500 at 24-24, 1.0 games ahead of West 11-seed HOU), he could dial up Rob Pelinka, have the Lakers’ GM swing by Dallas last night to scoop up “Luke Duncan” with a ten-day contract, then limit James’ towel-waving to protect his broad shoulders, as “Luke” goes off for a triple-double.

I never have to wonder whether Quin Snyder and the Hawks’ coaching staff knows what they’re doing. Between the scattershot offensive execution and the scatterbrained defensive schemes, the Hawks keep themselves in contention in free-wheeling games only when Trae Young, Dejounte Murray (wisely questionable again, tight hamstring, sore Twitter finger), and any one (1) of the Hawks’ so-called shooters find some semblance of offensive chemistry.

I don’t worry so much about the Hawks, though, insofar as there’s only a major problem when the people who don’t know what they’re doing genuinely don’t know that they don’t know what they’re doing. If you know what I’m saying. At least I think Coach Quin knows.

It took the greatest triple-less-double-double of Saddiq Bey’s career, and a commitment to finally unglue himself from the corners, for Atlanta (19-27, tied for the East’s final Play-In spot with BRK) to pry victory from the jaws of defeat on Sunday versus visiting Toronto. Yet it matters not whether it’s an ego-driven bona fide All-Star, a past-his-prime vet, a long-struggling rookie, or a Jordan Nwora, some opponent is bound to come away from a Hawks game with one of those grandpaw-in-the-rocking-chair-gather-round-lemme-show-you-how-nice-I-was-back-on-Earth-One performances. The fun, for Hawks fans on any given night, is in guessing who Paw Paw is going to be.

My hunch, the Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt, did commandeer an early respite when he got tossed in the second period Monday night, getting got by Dillon the Villain in a playful shoving match. James almost got some extra time-off, too, when Dillon drew a fragrant foul trying to play smell-my-finger with him on an attempted rebound. But Ham continued to ride with James and the Laker starters as they whittled down a 30-point deficit, until the game was clearly beyond reach with a few minutes left.

Even without adding a Mr. “Duncan”, Vando and Jaxson Hayes (ex-Hawks draft-and-tradee alert!) will be in fine condition for extended frontcourt minutes tonight filling in for Bron (questionable daily, ankle tendinopathy) and/or Anthony Davis (questionable, Achilles tendinopathy).

Whoa. 41 minutes for D’Angelo Russell last night? After 49 minutes to squeak by Golden State two nights before? How much more of an injury-risking showcase does one man need? Does Coach Ham know what he’s doing?

Nah, on second thought, Darvin’s got this. On a third game in four nights, rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino can chip in the trickle of meaningful minutes we all hoped Atlanta’s Kobe Bufkin (called up to ATL from CPK; as noted by AHF, 4 NBA minutes, lowest among all draftees played this season, tied w/ ATL’s injured Mo Gueye) would have been provided by now.

Los Angeles is 2-5 in SEGABABAs, but 1-4 so far in road SEGABABAs (the exception @ SAS after playing @ DAL; the Spurs beat the Lakers by 14 on the latter’s 3^rd-in-4^th game two nights later). LeBron last played in one of those right before New Year’s Eve, having scored 60 points in 76 combined road SEGABABA minutes (@ MIN, @ NOP) but going minus-11 as the Pelicans drummed the Lakers by 20.

Yes, Los Angeles could use better titration of their star players’ floor time to finish with at least a Play-In record by Game #82. Just when I wonder whether Ham’s lost his way, though, I recall that the Lakers ought to be fairly rested, having not had to deal with a back-to-back series this entire month until now.

A mid-month trip to SLC broke up a four-game homestand at Staples Center with an effective six-game home stretch (sole road game “@ LAC”). The home cooking aided James’ opus in San Francisco last Saturday (36 points, career-high 20 boards, 12 assists), outlasting the Warriors in double-OT by a point. In sum, they haven’t had to take The Lake Show on the road (7-16 in away games) for a while, before this six-game excursion began over the weekend, and their starters should be well-rested enough for major burn tonight.

Or, maybe not, I thought. Maybe they’ll all be exhausted, unable to keep pace, and their listless play tonight will be Darvin’s fault. Then again, on second thought, they are playing Atlanta. Wait, I've lost count. Is that a third thought?

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

AD may stand for All-Day, but Night time is another matter entirely.

~lw3

[macdaddy]

10 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Dejounte Murray (wisely questionable again, tight hamstring, sore Twitter finger),

 

[lethalweapon3]

LeBron, in his prior visit to The Farm (December 30, 2022), sowed in 47 points to reap a 130-121 win that raised the Lakers' record to 15-21. He'll clearly miss sharing the court with Thomas Bryant this go-round.

Now that we've finally thawed him out, Hawks GameNotes notes that Patty Mills (currently at 1,230) needs six threes to move into 3rd all-time (behind Kahl and Jamal, and ahead of LouWill) for the most bench 3FGMs in league history.

A little more likely tonight, Trae's next 30-and-10-burger would move him into a tie with Tiny Archibald (76) for the 5th-most such stat-PADDs in NBA history.

~lw3

[terrell]

Supes and Peo if Dre comes back and the Hawks go on a winning streak.....

 

[Spud2nique]

Give them back Dre for 7 first rounders!!!

Thanks lw3!

Go Hawks!

ps We aren’t the Lakers farm system ugh hate the arrogance!  

[Diesel]

Tonights atmosphere...

All Lakers fans unite at State Farm tonight.   Yellow and Purple everywhere. 

The Lakers got their arse tore out the frame last night by a Houston team looking to pass them.   Lakers may be serious.   I also suspect they will give us a little Reaves eye candy to try to make us believe that Reaves is good.  Celebs everywhere so bron might play. 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

[lethalweapon3]

BELIEVERS (DREVOTEES?) UNITE!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

MIsty water-colored memmmmorieeees...

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[lethalweapon3]

How much will Bron play? We shall see.

~lw3

[Dnice]

That's a bunch of former small fowards of the hawks over there. Who's next? 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Maybe Kobe might actually see minutes tonight.

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

1 minute ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Maybe Kobe might actually see minutes tonight.

 

 

Saddiq 6'-8"??? like JJ?? ....and I thought JJ was 6'-9"??

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Chrimturn]

Don’t know if it’s the stress or what but Q looking more and more like a mad scientist with every new game. 

[terrell]

Smh turnover on 1st possession...