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Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel made a noticeable change to the starting lineup following the team’s third straight loss. Hoping to avoid a four-game slippage against the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz, Vogel turned to Markieff Morris and Talen Horton-Tucker to replace Kyle Kuzma and Wesley Matthews.
The new lineup stood up to the dominant Jazz starting five. The first round of substitutions for both teams came at 6:43 of the first quarter with the game tied at 13. It was the opposite of the usual slow starts the Lakers had become prone to.
“Just to give us a little more diverse attacking offense with the possibility of playing a bit against ‘Kieff in the post,” Vogel explained of the roster changes. “Having a ball handler with ‘Bron was something we really wanted to do after the overtime game the other night.
“So Talen or Alex were there all night with him. Just give us a little different look after losing three in a row.
While LA ended up blowing itself up, it wasn’t the starting lineup’s fault. Outside of LeBron James and Horton-Tucker – who were minus-20 and minus-16 respectively – the starters actually fared better than most bench units.
It’s clear the Lakers are in desperate need of getting back to good health and reaching the All-Star break without doing even more damage to their record. They only play four games before a nine-day gap, but must face the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings in the process.
Lakers hope Schroder returns on Friday
Dennis Schroder – who was scheduled to undergo a seven-day quarantine under NBA health and safety protocols – has missed the Lakers’ last four games. They lost all four, which makes his return all the more imperative.
If Schroder continues to test negative, he should be back in Lakers lineup on Friday night. They will desperately need his defense and the creation of shots as they take on Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers.
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