PORTLAND, Ore. — The Lakers are looking for answers when it comes to maximizing their star trio. For the star duo of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, things were a little less cluttered Thursday night as the pair took turns dragging the Lakers to a much-needed win after awful back-to-back losses.
James and Reaves made the biggest shots, got the biggest stops and, on a night when they didn’t have Luka Doncic, pushed the Lakers to a 110-102 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
James scored 40 on the second night of a back-to-back and Reaves added 32, both players also getting key stops as Portland (23-33) pushed in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers’ fight to win, particularly from James and Reaves, left coach JJ Redick in awe, pouring praise on his leaders.
“He really just defies anything that’s normal. And not just the physical feats and the plays. It’s the mentality,” Redick said about James. “He’s, I believe I saw the other day, he’s a billionaire. And he’s playing on the second night of a back-to-back at 40 after 22 years with every fricking record and every accolade. … He’s one of the greatest competitors.
“And Nate [McMillan, assistant] and I were talking about it before the game. It’s like, he’s amazing to coach. He brings it every single day. … He sets the standard for how you’re supposed to approach this craft. And that’s to me the most incredible thing. It’s just a mindset to do it, get up the next day, do it, get up the next day, do it over and over again.”
So why not take the night off?
“Because I still love the game and I still got a lot to give to the game, to give to my teammates, to give to this league for while I’m here,” James said. “I don’t have much time left. So, while I’m here today in this time, I’m going to try to give what I got when I’m out on the floor. So, why? It’s the love of the game and I have an opportunity now to show my son the ranks of how to be a professional in this league. And to be along [with] him every single day, that’s a treat.”
And in Reaves, Redick has a player who fought constantly against a Portland team that tried to bully him off the ball, sustaining a cut on his shoulder in the process. Reaves made a trio of huge defensive plays in the fourth quarter to help keep the Lakers ahead.
“He’s going to give you every ounce of competitive juice that he has every single night,” Redick said. “That’s really what it comes down to.”
The version of the Lakers that will finish this season is nowhere close to being decided. They’re stuck between the version that worked its way to 10 games above .500 and the one they committed to when they traded Anthony Davis and Max Christie for Doncic.
Doncic, who has appeared in three games since Christmas, is expected to play in back-to-backs moving forward, with Redick saying the team is just being cautious in the guard’s return from a calf strain.
“Speaking with him Tuesday night after practice, we sat down together. He’s all in,” Redick said of Doncic. “He’s [over] the mental part of the shock and everything, he’s in a really good place. And now we’ve got to get him physically where he needs to be to be Luka.”
Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt are on track to play Saturday in Denver.
The Lakers (33-21) still are waiting for Doncic to get into some kind of rhythm after his extended absence, though Redick said the team is focused on finding ways for James, Reaves and Doncic to shine together.
“It’s all of us. It’s not just the staff. It’s the players too. It’s them and us working together to find the balance to allow our three best players to be at their best,” Redick said. “You’ve seen this happen a million times in the NBA. It doesn’t happen in three games. It might not happen in three months. That’s just the reality of how these things work. We’re all committed to making it work. I think we can all be a little more organized.”
But the fight the Lakers showed Thursday, as they worked off rust from the All-Star break coupled with fatigue from one of the toughest back-to-backs on the NBA schedule, flying from Los Angeles to Portland, is something they can build upon.
“The best way to compete in this league is to play hard,” James said. “You can get through a lot of games if you’re able to just play hard. You’re able to cover up for a lot of mistakes.”
James’ assessment on what it takes to win in the NBA was echoed by his coach.
“I had this revelation, like I don’t know, six weeks ago, two months ago,” Redick said. “And the math stuff, it’s important. Like it really is. Try to generate high-value shots. You strategize around throw-aheads and what those create, like all that stuff. It’s super important. Game plan defensively, it’s all important. Guys have to communicate, all that stuff. There’s actually only one cheat code in the NBA, and that’s playing hard. If you play hard every night, you have a chance to win. If you don’t play hard every night, you’re probably going to lose.
“…You give yourself a chance to win every night if you play hard.”
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