Lakers relishing having multiple days off between games

No other NBA team had played more games than the Lakers had over the last 2 ½ months. 

And it showed during the Lakers’ 116-99 win over the Nets on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers’ margin of victory didn’t reflect how competitive the matchup was until the game’s final minutes, with the team not only showing the fatigue from the six-game trip they were coming off of, but also the wear and tear from how condensed their schedule has been lately.

The Lakers played a league-high 38 games from Jan. 12-Friday. 

Ironically, the only other team to play that many games in that span was the Nets, with every other team outside of the Rockets (37) playing between 33-36 games in that span. 

It’s why the Lakers were relishing having two games off between games for the first time since Jan. 10-11, outside of the All-Star break, with their next game not until Monday when they hosy the Wizards.

The matchup against the Wizards will be the first night of a back-to-back, with the Lakers also hosting the Cavaliers on Tuesday. 

“It’s gigantic,” LeBron James said. “And we got to take full advantage of it, for sure.”

What will taking advantage of the time look like?

A day off for the team on Saturday before a rare late-season practice on Sunday, with coach JJ Redick already mentioning inbounds passing as something he wants his team to work on.

But it will also allow for much-needed rest with multiple players popping up on the injury report the last few games.

“It’s the first time we got two days between the games after All Star,” Luka Doncic said. “So definitely get a lot of ice and a lot of recovery.”

Doncic won’t be available for the matchup against the lowly Wizards after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season against the Nets, triggering a league-mandated one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation.

He picked up the technical foul when he and Nets forward Zaire Williams were double T’d up after an altercation midway through the third quarter of Friday’s matchup.

After Doncic was called for an offensive foul against Nic Claxton on an inbounds play underneath the Lakers basket, Williams was yelling next to Doncic after the turnover. Doncic shoved Williams in the back before Williams hit Doncic in the face while his back was turned to him. 

The referees review saw a “push” from Doncic, followed by an “action” after the push by Williams, leading to the double technicals. 

“He [yelled] in my face three times,” Doncic said postgame. “I just wanted to get out of there. It’s a double tech, of course. What can I say? I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed. My push was exaggerated, which was obviously not. And I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Doncic is unlikely to dodge the one-game suspension for accumulation of technicals this time around, like he did just a week ago, with the referees already reviewing the sequence during the game.

“I’m sure we will appeal it,” coach JJ Redick said. “I didn’t see what happened.”Doncic was assessed a 16th technical during the March 21 road win over the Magic for a verbal back and forth with Magic center Goga Bitadze, who was also given a technical foul, but they later rescinded by the league, allowing Doncic to be eligible for the March 23 road loss to the Pistons.

Doncic, who named the Western Conference player of the week back-to-back weeks, has been on a tear over the last month. He’s averaged 36.5 points (49.3% shooting, 39% on 3-pointers), 8.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.3 steals during the Lakers’ 14-2 stretch going back to Feb. 28.

“We’re just playing our game,” James said. “Obviously, [Doncic is] the head honcho when it comes to our offensive power and then it goes to [Austin Reaves]. And those two guys, they attract so many eyes, so much energy. But [Doncic is in] just in an unbelievable rhythm right now, shooting the 3-ball exceptionally well, getting to the line as he always does and just being super efficient. So we’re all just playing off of him.”

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