The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their preseason at the Acrisure Arena with two-weekend games on Friday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 6. The Lakers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 4 and the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 6.
Fans were decked out in their Lakers gear, showing tremendous support for the team. The crowd was energetic and ready to see the Lakers play their hearts out.
“It’s great that the arena is hosting a Lakers game in the Valley, and I can’t wait to see them play”. said Vanessa Gonzalez.
Oct. 4 – Minnesota Timberwolves
LeBron James and Anthony Davis did not participate in the game and chose instead to support their teammates from the sidelines. Lakers Coach JJ Redick made his first debut as the new head coach.
The Timberwolves took the lead in the game with a score of 13-5. Max Christie had excellent drives to the hoop and scored points for the Lakers. Even with Christie, Minnesota was still in the lead with a 36-32 score for the first quarter.
Bronny James, LeBron’s son, played his first NBA game. Bronny entered the second quarter, and the crowd was excited for the new player.
The loudest cheer of the evening was when Bronny made his first NBA basket on a solid drive to the basket in the last minute of play, having missed his first five attempts.
The Lakers tried to take the lead from Minnesota, but they ended the quarter with a 58-49 score at halftime.
Halftime performances included the Laker Girls and Christian & Scooby, which excited the crowd. Christian & Scooby is a man with his chihuahua, where the pair had some show-stoppers circus acts.
After halftime, Dalton Knecht came off the bench, putting Los Angeles within one possession by making a three-pointer and converting a transition layup.
Knecht dunked over a defender and drained a three-pointer, while Jalen Hood-Schifino assisted in the fourth quarter.
In the end, the Lakers couldn’t overcome the deficit, and they accepted the defeat to begin the preseason with The Timberwolf’s victory with a 124-107 score.
Later, Lakers confirmed LeBron and Davis will play against the Phoenix Suns for Sunday game.
Oct. 6 – Phoenix Suns
LeBron and Bronny James made history as the first father-son duo to play together on the same NBA team. This was also a significant milestone because it was Bronny’s 20th birthday.
During the first half, LeBron James and Anthony Davis took the court. Davis made a 3-pointer to start the game after catching a pass from Austin Reaves. The Lakers took an early 11–7 lead when Davis found D’Angelo Russell for a layup.
Max Christie followed up with a three-pointer, and James capped a fantastic first quarter, with the Lakers leading the Suns 34–25.
The Lakers led 69-57 at halftime, with LeBron scoring 19 points, Davis scoring 17, and Russell scoring 12.
For most of the third quarter, the Lakers were led by Reaves and Russell, maintaining a double-digit advantage. Cam Reddish made a 3-pointer in four minutes of play.
As the third quarter closed, the Suns began to pressure the Lakers, but Gabe Vincent made a 3-pointer at the final second to put Los Angeles ahead 92-85.
Fans were on the edge of their seats, watching both teams battle closely for the win.
In the fourth quarter, the Suns took home the win with a 118-114 victory.
“The beautiful thing about our sport is that it’s a global sport, and the beautiful thing about the Lakers is that we have fans worldwide, and the desert over here is an extension,” Redick stated in a report from ABC News.
Next Lakers Game: The Lakers will travel to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, Oct. 10.
