Tag: Marc Gasol

Gasol only Lakers starter to reach double-digits in loss to Clippers

The Los Angeles Lakers never led against the Los Angeles Clippers and suffered an 18-point loss.

Marc Gasol, who had only played five games since the start of March and not broken into double-figure points in any of them, was the only positive on offense in the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

That was not a recipe for success. With no other starters even reaching double-digit points, the Lakers suffered their lowest-scoring game of the season and never led in the 104-86 loss to the Clippers.

Gasol scored 11 points in 18 minutes of play. The other four starters, all of whom played at least 28 minutes, combined for 31 points.

The Lakers may have been without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but head coach Frank Vogel didn’t give an out to his players who did take the court in the 18-point loss, the team’s largest margin of defeat since March 3.

“There’s no excuses here,” he said, according to Spectrum SportsNet. “The guys that are playing have what it takes.”

Their offensive effort couldn’t counter that of Kawhi Leonard and Marcus Morris. Leonard flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Morris had a game-high 22 points on a very efficient 9-for-13 shooting, including 4-for-5 from deep.

The Clippers started to pull away with a 23-10 run over the first nine minutes of the second quarter, and lifted their lead up to 24 before settling in.

The Lakers shot just 40% from the field and were destroyed on the glass by a 50-36 margin. The Clippers’ 13 offensive rebounds were almost twice the number as the Lakers’ seven. And though the Lakers did a good job limiting fouls, committing only 11 during the game, the Clippers made up for it by making 14 for their 28 3-pointers — twice as many makes as the Lakers — and shooting 47.7% from the field.

Gasol went 3-for-3 from deep. The other Lakers starters went 2-for-16. Gasol, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso were the only players on the team to make a 3-pointer.

“We’ve gotta collapse the defense. We’ve gotta screen better. Doing everything a little better and sacrificing for your teammates — sacrificing by cutting, moving, burning the extra calorie for somebody else, creating a vacuum when you cut, is going to force the other team to help,” Gasol said.

“We do it sometimes. … When teams like today are a little more physical, a little more aggressive, with a little more size, that movement’s gonna be even more important.”

With the loss, the Lakers are now tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets, who play Sunday night. The Clippers gain a game on the Lakers to elevate their lead in third place.

Lakers news: Anthony Davis (Achilles/Calf) out at least another two weeks

Anthony Davis has been out for the Los Angeles Lakers since Feb. 16 with a calf/Achilles strain and he’ll be out even longer.

The Los Angeles Lakers were due for an update on Anthony Davis since we are coming up on one month since he last suited up in a Lakers uniform. And while the Lakers did release an update, it was short on any real information about when we can expect Davis back on the court.

The Lakers announced on Friday night, just as their game tipped off against the Indiana Pacers, that Davis has been “cleared for the next stage” of his rehabilitation but they would say what that recovery process entails. They also said he would be out two more weeks before he is evaluated again, which is the most important part for the Lakers.

The Lakers’ schedule, luckily, isn’t too bad if they are able to have most of their team healthy alongside LeBron James. It could also be another opportunity for LeBron James to make his case as the league MVP, if the Lakers are able to run off a stretch of wins without Davis in the second half of the season. The Lakers also get seven of their next 10 games, including Friday night, at home.

The Lakers started Damian Jones at center tonight as Marc Gasol remains out due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

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Lakers news: Dennis Schröder (health and safety) out vs. Nets

The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be without Dennis Schröder against James Harden and Kyrie Irving on Thursday.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without one of their hardest workers on both sides of the ball on Thursday night as they welcome James Harden, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. Starting point guard Dennis Schröder was a late scratch for the Lakers against the Nets, according to Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell. Schröder was ruled out from tonight’s game due to the NBA’s Health and Safety protocols.

The Lakers are back home tonight after a brief two-game road-trip while the Nets are still on a four-game win-streak coming into Thursday night’s game. Both teams are missing star players, with the Lakers missing Anthony Davis and the Nets missing Kevin Durant.

As of this post, the Lakers have yet to announce a replacement for Schröder. Schröder had played in every game for the Lakers so far this season. Without him in the lineup, LeBron James will absorb more of the point guard duties while Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker and even perhaps Marc Gasol will see themselves more in control of the Lakers offensive attack.

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Lakers-Grizzlies recap: LeBron James down epic finishing dunk in win

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James delivered another awesome moment for his MVP candidacy with his play in Friday night’s win.

After going to overtime in their last three games, the Los Angeles Lakers gave themselves the mercy of avoiding an extra period on Friday night as they delivered a brutal second half blow to the Memphis Grizzlies, 115-105. The Grizzlies dominated the Lakers in the first half but L.A. used a dominant 41-23 third quarter to hold serve at home and extend their current win-streak to seven games.

LeBron James had the finishing touches on the night with a big dunk after the Lakers had already wrestled control of the game. While James had 28 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, Anthony Davis had the bigger statistical night for the Lakers as he led all scorers with 35 points.

Sixers feel comfortable having Joel Embiid go 1-on-1 with Marc Gasol

The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t worried about how Joel Embiid has struggled against Marc Gasol in the past.

As the Philadelphia 76ers head into a big matchup with LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, most people would begin focusing on a Ben Simmons vs. James matchup. Or perhaps Joel Embiid taking on Anthony Davis.

However, there has been one player who has constantly gotten the better of Embiid in the past and that has been Marc Gasol who is in his first season in Los Angeles after spending the last few seasons with the Toronto Raptors.

Embiid is building an MVP case, but he is averaging only 10.6 points in eight regular-season matchups with Gasol, and Embiid went scoreless in a game against him on 0-for-11 shooting when he played for the Raptors in the 2019-20 season. Overall, Embiid then shot just 1-for-16 against Gasol in the 2019-20 season per NBA Stats.

Despite Embiid’s history of struggles against Gasol, coach Doc Rivers feels comfortable having Embiid go up against the veteran big man.

“I think I’m very comfortable with Joel going up against anyone,” said Rivers. “Obviously, a lot of that was Toronto did a lot of trapping and the Lakers may do that as well. I think the way we spread the floor and space the floor, if that does happen, I think we’ll get great shots. If you give it to Joel one-on-one I’ll take Joel one-on-one in the post against anyone with zero concern.”

The Sixers are in a better position to help Embiid now that they have guys such as Seth Curry and Danny Green around him and Tobias Harris continues to shoot the ball well, so it will be interesting to see how Embiid attacks Gasol on Wednesday.

Embiid has also done a terrific job of passing out of double teams so if the Lakers do send waves of defenders as Toronto did, the big fella has to be able to show some growth and be able to attack it without blinking an eye.

“I look at every game as a game of growth,” Rivers added. “The game of measuring where you’re at right now and not necessarily because you’re playing the Lakers, more because we’re playing an NBA game and at this point where you’re at, how far you’re behind because of all this stuff that has happened?”

The Sixers and the Lakers tipoff at 7:30 p.m. EST from Wells Fargo Center.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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A mic’d up Draymond Green coached James Wiseman, simultaneously trash-talked Marc Gasol

LOL.

Draymond Green is the perfect teacher for 2020 draft No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, and thanks to the wonders of mics put on NBA players, we got to hear exactly what he told the rookie big man on Monday night during an incredible Golden State Warriors comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers.

But it was doubly amazing because as he was telling Wiseman he had the rook “in open space against Marc Gasol” … right in earshot of Marc Gasol. Check out the high comedy here as the TNT camera pulls back and there’s Gasol standing right there.

Dray is a genius, in case you didn’t know. Only he could turn a teaching moment into simultaneous trash talk.

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LeBron James shows off gymnastics ability after missed dunk

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James played pretty well but had a hilarious blooper in the first half of Friday’s game.

The Los Angeles Lakers took a quarter to get going on Friday night but their two stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis made sure to keep the Lakers in the game, as L.A. took a 58-57 lead after falling behind in the first quarter. But in one of the few bloopers for the Lakers in the second quarter, LeBron James showed us some incredible acrobatics in his recovery from a missed dunk in the Lakers first game of 2021.

It was almost a highlight too, with Marc Gasol and LeBron working some give-and-go magic that they’ve started to show in their short time together, but James just missed the stuff that would have been an incredible poster before rolling over and flipping back on his feet to run back on defense.

Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane also delivered this hilarious comparison to pro wrestling, which James, of course, is a big fan of.

LeBron turned 36 on Wednesday.

 

Wolves vs. Lakers recap: No AD, no problem as Lakers roll again

Anthony Davis didn’t play for the Los Angeles Lakers but they rolled a shorthanded Timberwolves team anyway.

The Los Angeles Lakers were without Anthony Davis on Sunday night as he rested with a calf strain, but they did not need him and perhaps thanks to his absence, newcomer Marc Gasol was able to have his most impactful night yet as a member of the Lakers. The Lakers dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were without Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist) 127-91 on Sunday night.

The Lakers are now 2-1 on the season and LeBron James has yet to play in the final seven minutes of any of the last three games. LeBron rolled his left ankle in the first half of the game but shook it off and played until the Lakers emptied the bench with the win well in hand. James only played 26 minutes.

Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 20 points (3 blocks) and LeBron James had a solid game with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, but much like Christmas Day will be remembered for the contributions of Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schröder, Sunday’s game will be remembered for Gasol. Gasol had 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and four blocks while going a perfect 4 for 4 from the field, with the Lakers depth showing in the first week of the season.

Gasol looked very comfortable both shooting the ball and creating, especially in lineups with LeBron James.

The Lakers don’t have much time to exhale. They will face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night back at the Staples Center.

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LeBron James, Marc Gasol and Lakers making beautiful basketball vs. Wolves

LeBron James and Marc Gasol are already making some amazing moments on the basketball court together.

The Los Angeles Lakers looked like they were getting into a rhythm towards the end of their game on Christmas Day against the Dallas Mavericks and against a shorthanded opponent playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers wasted no time and refused to go down as other marquee teams did on Sunday night, including a 51-point loss by the Clippers in the same building earlier in the day. Instead, the Lakers played their best basketball of the young season and started to show they are equipped to be even more dangerous in their title defense than they were when they won their first title a little over two months ago.

In particular, the play of LeBron James and Marc Gasol, which on paper seemed like a perfect fit of two high-level passers, delivered some phenomenal moments, particularly in the 3rd quarter. Gasol looked comfortable working from the high post, racking up eight assists to go with 12 points in three quarters.

LeBron also made sure to include Gasol, who got going a bit from the 3-point line in the 3rd quarter as well.

Kyle Kuzma, the middle man in the above possession, also delivered in a starting role while Anthony Davis rested with a calf strain. Kuzma had 20 points, three assists, and three blocks after three quarters, with the Lakers posting a 103-67 lead.

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Marc Gasol, Markieff Morris and KCP all sit Friday’s preseason game

The Los Angeles Lakers will be back on the floor but they will be playing without a lot of their veteran players.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the NBA are finally back on the court in home markets, but as a response to the compressed offseason and the first real game of the season is only 11 days away, many of the Lakers veteran players are joining the Lakers stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James is watching Friday’s preseason opener from the bench.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters before Friday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers that Marc Gasol, Markieff Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would join the two Lakers stars in sitting out of Friday’s game. Perhaps LeBron let everyone have a taste of Lobos 1707 Tequlia before the game. The Lakers will start Dennis Schröder, Wesley Matthews, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell, according to SB Nation’s Harrison Faigen.

The Lakers have been in training camp since Sunday. LeBron James has said recently on Road Trippin’ that he didn’t envision himself playing in the preseason but that could change between now and the start of the regular season on Dec. 22, when the Lakers will receive their championship rings.

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