Los Angeles Lakers talisman LeBron James feels they defended well in the second half after their 101-94 win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. Anthony Davis had 23 points and 19 rebounds whereas LeBron James had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
James scored 11 points and Davis added nine in the fourth quarter as the duo played at their absolute best in the final frame. With this win, the Lakers snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Sixers.
“Ugly, but we got the job done,” James said. “We defended (well) in the second half. They only had 18 (points) in the fourth. That’s big-time when the offense was struggling like it was. … We turned the ball over way too much and gave up too easy baskets, but when we got in the half-court, we buckled down and made them take tough shots.”
D’Angelo Russell went past the 3-pointers franchise record set by Nick Van Exel during the 1994-95 season when he scored his 184th of the season during the first quarter.
“It just feels good to be part of one of these type of deals,” Russell said. “This franchise is one of the most prestigious, so to have my name be a part of it, more than grateful. Just continue to shatter it, if I can. Make it really hard for the next person.”
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse feels they played hard but they were not at their best in offense.
“I thought we played unbelievably hard (and) executed the game plan,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “I just thought we could not get enough offense to hang in there. … As long as we play our guts out, I can live with it. I’m having a hard time living with it right now because I thought we played so hard and executed so well.”
The Lakers will next host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
