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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Tyson Chandler revealed on Tuesday that he had narrowed down the list of potential landing sites at the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors before negotiating a buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
"It was five teams, and I reduced it to two," said Chandler, star of Dominguez High School in Compton. "And then, I had to think and pray.
"And then I [could] only see me in a Lakers uniform. So, it's sort of my decision. "
A dazzling advance, missed free throws and a tight finish: the Lakers stand firm against the Hawks and have a winning record for the first time in two years.
It took 12 games, but the Los Angeles Lakers finally managed to hold less than 110 points and improve to 6-6.
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The Lakers (7-6) won three consecutive games with Chandler on the ground and five out of six in Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 36-year-old center averaged 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 flies in 22.7 minutes from the bench. He played three crucial minutes in the fourth quarter for three games, the last of which allowed Trae Young to win the match to allow the Lakers to escape with a 107-106 victory over the Hawks on Sunday.
"I mean, it's huge," said LeBron James. "We knew we had a [backup center] who needed to be reassured, and so that we could get Tyson the same way we had it and that we could immediately implement it and the impact it had on three games? "
"You see a lot of winning shots, you see a lot of winning helpers," said James after the victory over Atlanta. "But for you to see a winning defensive block like that, you do not see that much in our league, so he's going up there and that's going to happen against a shooter and who does it perfectly, all excited about it. "
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Trae Young tries to take it with a runner down the hall, but Tyson Chandler rises to replace him and consolidate the Lakers 107-106 win.
Prior to the arrival of Chandler, Los Angeles sank to the bottom third of the league with a defensive score of 111.5. With Chandler, the Lakers' defensive score climbed to 97.4, first in the league, although it's a small sample.
While McGee has played one of the best basketball of his career (13.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks), he has accumulated the most minutes since the 2011-12 season. The arrival of Chandler allowed Lakers coach Luke Walton to find more opportunities to rest the starting center for L.A.
But the veteran wanted to assure McGee that he would come to support all the Lakers.
"For me, I'm trying to get there, it's not about me and him," Chandler said. "I'm not here to take the work of anyone.I am here to try to make the team better.My hope is to make his job easier, so that it stays fresh so that & # 39; He can play all year long and give us the type of minutes he gave, as well as I. The goal is that we help each other, not against each other. others. "
McGee shared this feeling when asked what the situation was when replacing Chandler.
"He's pretty damn close to the same player I am," McGee said. "I adapted well [good], so I figure [he] will be too. "
Chandler is grateful that he finds himself in a situation where he plays in games that count for a playoff contender.
"Very surprised," Chandler said of his release from his contract in Phoenix. "But I was grateful to the Suns for letting me go at that time, because if you come in February or March, it's hard for a player because you're so in trouble." delay, then you go straight to the playoffs and you do not do it. " really have the option to gel as much as you want.
"So, for me, doing this early gives me a chance to mingle with guys, to keep up with the guys, to go through the ups and downs, to really be part of the team, so come on in the playoffs, we are really together on an agreement. "
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