In the 1980’s, NBA fandom was polarized: you either pulled for the Lakers or the Celtics and while most people had a clear preference there, you could pull for one and still admire the other.
And while Larry Bird made the Celtics mesmerizing, they called the Lakers offense Showtime for a reason. That team was built around Magic Johnson and Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar and it was the greatest running team of all time.
In this game against the hapless Sacramento Kings, everything was clicking for L.A.
Los Angeles
went up 28-0 before Derek Smith – Nolan’s dad – finally hit a pair of free throws.
The Lakers ultimately won the quarter 40-4, holding the Kings to 0-18 from the floor. The Showtime offense got a lot of credit and it was brilliant and historically great, but you don’t win championships without great defense. Holding an NBA team to four free throws and 0-18 in a quarter is absolutely incredible.
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