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The LA Lakers were expected to notch up a comprehensive victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at the Crypto.com Arena, and they did just that with a 125-111 win. The matchup also marked local lad Spencer Dinwiddie's debut game as a Laker, and he spent quite some time on the floor for his six points.
The guard played 26 minutes and also recorded two rebounds and seven assists as he tried to acclimatize to LA's style of playing ball. The Purple and Gold's starters were in good form with all of them hitting double digits as the side notched up their second consecutive win.
That though didn't necessarily leave fans surprised as they believed that the Lakers winning over a struggling side was a no-brainer. The news would be if Detroit pulled off an upset win.
"Played Detroit lmao who cares"
Other fans soon followed suit:
The hosts were led by LeBron James who recorded a game-high 25 points coupled with eight rebounds. Anthony Davis had 20 points and 14 rebounds, while D'Angelo Russell chipped in with 21 points. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura added 15 points each.
Are the LA Lakers title contenders?
LA (29-26) are barely over the .500 mark, suggesting that they are far from contenders. Inconsistency and health have been key factors behind their struggles this season and it doesn't help that key difference makers Cam Reddish, Max Christie and Jarred Vanderbilt – who played their part in the IST – win are sidelined.
With weeks to go before some of the aforementioned names make a comeback, a lot depends on James, Davis, Russell and Reaves. However, a healthy Lakers unit boasts of depth and versatility, making them wildcards when it comes to discussing title chances. Last season, they made the conference finals before being swept by the Denver Nuggets.
This time around, making the playoffs seems tricky considering that the side is placed ninth and needs a string of wins to steer clear of the play-in tournament. Earlier, one of the West executives believed that LA would be a legitimate threat in the playoffs:
“I don’t want any piece of them in the playoffs."
With both James and Davis still among the best players in the league, there is no reason to believe that LA can’t make a deeper run again. They showed what they are capable of thriving in a competitive environment when they won the NBA Cup and James, in his 21st NBA season, was named MVP. The Lakers aren't contenders on paper, but in the NBA, anything is possible.
