LOS ANGELES – Another challenge successfully completed.
The Lakers put on a fundamentally beautiful performance Friday night, blending star power with extremely high IQ on both ends of the floor to puncture Miami’s zone defense and impair its offense in order to win their seventh straight game.
Miami came into the game boasting the NBA’s best defense against opposing three-pointers, and the Lakers haven’t exactly been able to rely on that weapon yet in the young season. That’s exactly why the 3-2 zone was a riddle suited not just to challenge the team’s shooting, but also its ability to be patient, attack closeouts, and make quick decisions.