The Lakers started a five game road trip on Wednesday in Chicago, the very team that beat the snot out of them on Sunday, in a very disappointing afternoon for the purple and gold. With only seven games left, the Lakers needed to start the trip strong, and get some revenge. And that's exactly what they did, winning 121-110 in a game they started strong and (save a couple minor lulls) controlled throughout.
Particularly when the starting lineup - LeBron, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell (he's back!), Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt was on the floor. That group was dominant in the minutes they played together. It looked great, but would Darvin Ham still benefit from tweaking things a little?
In reality, when Davis plays with the type of energy and force he did on Wednesday, it might not matter how Ham deploys his role guys. Davis was excellent from the jump, getting off to a strong start in the game and finishing with 38 points on 13-20 from the floor. LeBron, still under a minutes restriction (that is clearly somewhere around 30) was an efficient 10-19 for 25 points. Russell and Reaves combined for 36.
Without being Pollyannish, that starting five, if healthy, is not one any team in the West would be all that excited to face in a playoff series. Not to say the Lakers are primed to make a run to the Finals, and are capable of winning four rounds (an odd thing to say about a team with no guarantee of even making the playoffs), but one round against any team in the West? Yeah, no question.
Meanwhile, the Lakers (and definitely Lakers fans) could take some joy in a terrible game from Patrick Beverley, and Reaves managed to make himself even more popular among Lakers fans by giving Bev the "too small" after hitting a jumper over him in the fourth.
Well played!
Finally, the Lakers have a Malik Beasley problem.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Anthony Davis leads the Lakers to a big win.

SEGMENT 2: That starting lineup is one that could be scary if it stays healthy.

SEGMENT 3: Austin Reaves throws trash talk back at Pat Bev, and the Lakers have a Beasley problem.

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