It was a wild ride for the Lakers in Utah on Tuesday night. Despite being up by 10 points with less than two minutes remaining, the undermanned Jazz stormed all the way back to force overtime.
LeBron James had a chance to win it in regulation but missed the layup. However, he managed to hit the go-ahead bucket that ultimately sealed the win in overtime, finishing with 37 points, five rebounds and six assists.
“I wanted to go quick,” James said on Spectrum SportsNet after the game.
“At least if I miss it, they come down, we get a stop, we get another crack at it. And I had to redeem myself for the end of regulation. I smoked the layup. … I had to make up for it and I was able to make up for it.”
James also touched on the importance of chemistry as the Lakers embark on their final games of the regular season.
“It’s all about chemistry,” he said. “The more minutes we can get on the floor with one another, the better we’ll be. … I’m thinking of putting my feet in the ice bucket right now. I haven’t play that many minutes in about five and a half weeks. I’m thinking about getting my body ready.”
The Lakers chemistry was certainly looking good in the locker room after the game, with most players making goat sounds while LeBron tried to do his postgame interview. The moral within the team appears to be completely different to where it was before the major shakeup at the trade deadline.
The Lakers are now seventh in the West at 41-38, sitting equal with the sixth-placed Clippers and a full game ahead of the eight-placed Pelicans.
LA will round out the regular season with games against the Clippers, Suns and Jazz, all of which will be played in LA.
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