In a game that seemed essentially meaningless, at least when it came to its outcome, the Los Angeles Lakers competed hard with the Golden State Warriors for two quarters and change.
With LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook all out of action, it was an opportunity for L.A.’s young players to prove themselves on a higher level, and several of them did just that.
The Lakers showed great energy throughout, but even with Stephen Curry not playing for the Warriors, they just had more talent than L.A., as they won 128-112.
This nightmarish season for the Purple and Gold has just two games left in it after tonight.
Stanley Johnson: C+
Johnson played 35 minutes and went just 2-of-7 from the field, 1-of-4 from 3-point range and 3-of-7 from the free throw line for eight points. His six turnovers (the Lakers as a team had 18) hurt the team’s cause.
He did, however, get six rebounds, and he made a contribution with two steals.
Dwight Howard: A-
Howard threw his weight around, almost like a younger version of himself, and grabbed 12 rebounds while scoring 16 points, several of which came on putbacks after offensive rebounds.
He had a highlight dunk at one point where he threw down an alley-oop pass from Malik Monk.
In his spare time, the former Defensive Player of the Year got one steal and blocked one shot in 25 minutes.
Malik Monk: A-
Monk went after it tonight, putting up 17 shots in 37 minutes and making eight of them to score 24 points. He went 3-of-9 from downtown and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
The former Charlotte Hornet had four assists as well, and he even contributed in areas he’s not known for by grabbing seven rebounds and recording one steal and two blocks.
His lone blemish tonight was his four turnovers.
It wasn’t the most efficient of nights for the undrafted rookie, as he shot just 3-of-8 from the field overall and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. But he was aggressive, and he got to the line, making 5-of-6 free throws.
Without James or Westbrook to defer to, Horton-Tucker played free and easy tonight, handling the ball the majority of the time, pushing the pace and attacking, and it paid off handsomely.
He finished with a beastly 40 points on 15-of-28 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.
In addition to seeking the rim, he flashed a step-back J from midrange, and he even went 2-of-6 from downtown.
Horton-Tucker also had three assists and made an impact defensively with four steals.
After what has been considered a disappointing season from him, it still looks like he has serious potential as an impact player down the road.
Wenyen Gabriel: B-
Gabriel played 20 minutes and scored six points on 2-of-3 shooting while getting three rebounds.
If he will remain a Laker next season, he has plenty of work to do on his game and his body, but his energy and athleticism will be welcome.
In 13 minutes, the former Warrior missed both of his shot attempts and had two rebounds and one blocked shot.
He was expected to be a valuable two-way wing player for the Lakers this season, as he was for Golden State last year, but he has largely failed in that regard.
Ellington attempted five shots (all 3-pointers) in 16 minutes, but he made only one of them. He scored six points and got four rebounds while committing two turnovers.
D.J. Augustin: C+
Augustin missed all three of his shot attempts and did not score a point in 23 minutes, but he did have three assists and two rebounds.
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