Thursday was a big news day for the Lakers, making that night’s game secondary. Lakers Coach Luke Walton’s pregame news conference was dominated by talk of the Lakers hiring Magic Johnson in a role that seems to be as an all-purpose adviser who reports to team President Jeanie Buss.
When the news conference ended, Walton lightly quizzed the assembled reporters: “Who are we playing tonight?”
It hadn’t come up.
The game that followed seemed like another rerun at first. But the Lakers showed fight in coming back from a 19-point deficit to tie the score before ultimately falling to the Washington Wizards, 116-108.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
1. Nick Young found out during the game, when a fan told him, that he was chosen for the NBA’s three-point contest. Asked if he considered himself the favorite, he responded in true Young fashion. “For sure, you know,” Young said. “Why wouldn’t I say that? I’m going to see where it goes, where I match up. Come back to L.A. with the trophy.” It wasn’t the best shooting night for Young, who opened the game 0 for 5 on threes. “Finally made one, right?” Young said. “Thought they might take me out.”
2. They come in bunches, I guess. D’Angelo Russell had the second 10-assist game of his career, one game after having his first. That was the positive from Russell’s night. The negative was that he turned the ball over seven times. The Lakers committed 15 first-half turnovers, nine in the second quarter. By halftime Russell had five turnovers. “It was a little bit of everything,” Russell said. “Bad passes by me, not aggressive enough as far as attacking the trap, just a little bit of everything.”
With the return of an antique, the remodeling can now officially begin.
Jeanie Buss has brought Magic Johnson back into the room, and everything on the Lakers suddenly looks new again.
Johnson was hired as an advisor to Buss on Thursday in an announcement designed to begin the process of reshaping…
With the return of an antique, the remodeling can now officially begin.
Jeanie Buss has brought Magic Johnson back into the room, and everything on the Lakers suddenly looks new again.
Johnson was hired as an advisor to Buss on Thursday in an announcement designed to begin the process of reshaping…
3. Larry Nance Jr. is still recovering from the bone bruise that kept him out for a few weeks. “I feel really good,” he said after the game. “I’m getting my athleticism back. I wouldn’t say I’ve got it all. That just comes with rhythm and the more games you play the more you come back.” His alley-oop dunk in the fourth quarter after a Lou Williams steal was a highlight of the ’ comeback bid.
4. There will be nights like this for both players. Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac had down nights. Consequently, Zubac played only 11 minutes. “I thought Zu just looked slow tonight,” Walton said. “We didn’t have time to waste so I was seeing if Julius [Randle] could jump-start us a little bit.”
5. Randle played for the first time since being diagnosed with pneumonia. He said he was surprised to learn he had pneumonia. “I was scared,” Randle said. “I’ve only heard the bad things about it. I was shocked.” Without much of an appetite after battling the illness, Randle lost weight during the few days he was ordered to rest. He played six minutes Thursday night and hasn’t practiced yet.
tania.ganguli@latimes.com
Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli
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