Despite missing Luka Dončić Sunday against the Detroit Pistons and Austin Reaves Monday against the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers went on the road for a back-to-back set and won both games over two of the Eastern Conference’s top-four seeds.
On Sunday, Reaves’ 43 points led the Lakers while Dončić‘s 32-point, 10-assist double-double paced them Monday night. But in both outings, Los Angeles’ depth played crucial roles to fill the void vacated by the absence of a star guard. Sandro Mamukelashvili,
Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams all delivered, helping propel Los Angeles to a pair of impressive road victories — and head coach JJ Redick recognized their efforts.
“I think the last two games, great examples of next guy up,” Redick told reporters postgame Monday. “…I thought Collin did a really nice job of attacking the paint and scoring. Giving us some juice, especially there in the first half. Sandro, his best game as a Laker and whatever he had, 23 points. That was awesome. Made some big time plays. I thought the two defensive rebounds he got there in the last few minutes were as big as any play he made all night.”
Walker Kessler filled up the stat sheet across both games, averaging 16.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals to fortify the interior on both ends. His rebounding, finishing, rim protection and quick decision-making are integral to Los Angeles’ 10-2 start this season.
Of course, Dončić and Reaves will shepherd the Lakers’ success — as they have through three weeks — but the supporting cast members elevating their play when called upon will be necessary if the Lakers are to contend for a title.
“It’s building resiliency. JJ talks about it, going through adversity, and understanding that, to be a championship team, you’ve got to respond to that kind of stuff,” Kessler said Monday. “When they made their fourth quarter run, we responded accordingly and got the win.”
Los Angeles will look to extend its winning streak to seven games and maintain an undefeated road trip when it faces the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST.
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
