NBA 2018-19: Player Ratings - Los Angeles Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers; LeBron impresses, Embiid explodes, Simmons disappoints
The resurgent Los Angeles Lakers traveled to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia to take on a surging Philadelphia 76ers team on Monday.
Match Details:
Los Angeles Lakers (28-28) 120-143 Philadelphia 76ers (36-20)
The match was a blowout win for the superb Philadelphia 76ers in front of a packed Philly crowd that brought a playoff-like atmosphere to the game. The Lakers could not get anything going for themselves against a Sixers side that has, in recent months, become a terrifying force in the Eastern Conference.
With the acquisition of Jimmy Butler in November and then Tobias Harris right before trade deadline day, the Sixers arguably have the best starting 5 in the Eastern Conference.
Joel Embiid dropped a monstrous 37 points on the Lakers, 25 of which came in the first half itself. He ended the game with 14 rebounds too, underlining the fact that this team is, in fact, Embiid's.
Tobias Harris also dropped a superb 22 points, with 9 of 14 shots landing. He also chipped in with 6 assists and 6 rebounds, finishing the game as the second best player for the 76ers. Jimmy Butler scored 15 points in an efficient showing, shooting 60% from the field. Ben Simmons was a big disappointment this game, scoring just 8 points on 3-13 shooting, struggling to get going. The only positive was his 3 point attempt that had the whole crowd going.
The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, had a horrible game. They were coming off a huge last-second win over the Boston Celtics and after getting 2 players in the trade deadline, were very confident.
They started off the game with the same confidence, shooting nearly 60 percent and scoring 40 points in the first quarter. But this lead was short-lived as the Sixers came roaring back and closed the first half on a 19-6 run to take a 76-67 lead into halftime. They never took their foot off the gas after that, winning both the 3rd and the 4th quarters with ease against a spiritless Lakers team.
The Lakers made a tweak to their starting lineup, bringing Reggie Bullock into the 5 and pushing Rajon Rondo back into a bench role, making LeBron James and Brandon Ingram primary ball handlers.
LeBron put in a classic performance but was not too efficient from the field, scoring 18 points on 50% shooting, with 10 rebounds and 9 assists, almost grabbing a triple-double. Kyle Kuzma exploded for the Lakers, shooting 67% from the field and scoring 39 points. JaVale McGee scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds but Ingram had a lackluster game, scoring 19 points off 6-11 shooting.
In their next game, the Philadelphia 76ers host the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster clash while the Los Angeles Lakers finish off their final game on their current road trip in Atlanta against the Hawks.