The Lakers proved they weren’t killed on the road, and LeBron reminded Zlatan who the hell he was

Everything will be alright.

The last time the Lakers embarked on a disturbing four-game losing streak was in December 2019, in which they responded with nine straight games. Coincidentally, said winning streak began against the Portland Trail Blazers, who they beat last night in one of their best defensive performances of the 2020-21 season.

The concern ahead was How? ‘Or’ What the Lakers lost four in a row, which came shortly after Anthony Davis’ Achilles injury. The Lakers lost just 98 points to the defensively defensive Brooklyn Nets, losing by 11. Two nights later, the now-booming Miami Heat (hot red is too ez) gutted a 96-94 style win. 1990. This was followed by an overtime loss to the Washington Wizards, who have now won 6 of 7 for the first time in three seasons. And then the big one: a 114-89 ass at the hands of the Utah Jazz, the best regular season team in the NBA (so far).

If last night wasn’t a must-see victory for the Lakers, it was close, if not for the sole reason that Davis shouldn’t come back for at least two more weeks. The Lakers had to prove they could ride the water without The Brow and did so by keeping the NBA’s 10th scoring offense more than 20 points below their average. Dennis Schröder’s return from the COVID protocol has helped tremendously, but it mostly indicates that the Lakers – even without Davis – have other gear they could invoke defensively that other NBA contenders have yet to prove when it counts.

The Lakers allowed Damian Lillard to score 35 points, but not only did he have to work tirelessly (24 field goal attempts) to score what was a record total, but the Lakers only allowed one more Trail Blazer. to accumulate more than 11. points: Gary Trent Jr, who scored 19 goals on only 8 shots out of 20 (including 2 in 11 out of three). Without Lillard’s 11 for 24, the Blazers shot 21 for 59 and were under pressure on what looked like every possession.

It doesn’t matter that LeBron James finished the night with 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, but his defensive rating of 83 was a catalyst in Laker’s victory, and he also recorded four steals and three blocks. Offensively, the team didn’t receive any significant contributions from anyone other than James, Schröder’s 22 points and Montrezl Harrell’s 17-point, nine-rebound effort on the bench, but if they are blocked defensively, c is all they would need. to show the way.

Perhaps part of the Lakers’ motivation came shortly before the game when AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimović, who played with the LA Galaxy from 2018-19, criticized James for being essentially a political activist and advocate for change in America. Ibrahimovic said in an interview with UEFA for Discovery + on Thursday that James is “phenomenal”, but doesn’t need to be in sports and politics simultaneously.

“Do what you’re good at,” Ibrahimović said, as if giving advice. “Make the category you make. I play soccer because I’m the best in soccer. I don’t play politics. If I were a political politician, I would be in politics. This is the first mistake people make when they get famous and gain a certain status. Stay out of it. Just do what you do best because it doesn’t look right. “

James not only responded with his performance, but he also addressed Ibrahimović after the game, saying he wouldn’t shut up and dribble:

“I will never be silent about things that are wrong. I preach on my people and I preach on equality, social justice, racism, the suppression of voters; things that are happening in our community. I will use my platform to continue to shed light on everything that is happening in this country and in the world. There is no way I am sticking to sports because I understand how powerful this platform and my voice is.

And, because the internet is going always Check out, here’s a clip of Ibrahimović attributing Muhammad Ali to being a role model for what he did inside and outside boxing. This is the typical revisionist story people make with Ali (and Martin Luther King Jr and Roberto Clemente, etc.), who was not as beloved in his day as he was in hindsight.