The LA Lakers recorded an unlikely win against their cross-town rivals, the LA Clippers, on Sunday night. The Lakers were coming off a 3-10 run, including a four-game losing streak, while the Clippers were on a hot streak, having won their last five games.
Coach Darvin Ham's future with the Lakers was questioned in numerous rumors leading up to the contest, especially with the team dropping to two games below the .500 mark. However, LA's 106-103 win over arguably the best team in the league over the month seems to have reduced the tension regarding his tenure at the team's helm.
Ham seemingly reworked some of his rotations and coverages on both ends. He stuck with players enjoying a more efficient game than others while adjusting the team's defense perfectly to limit the Clippers' star-studded offensive trio of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Harden scored 15 points on four-of-13 shots. George had 22 on eight-of-18 shooting, while Kawhi went six-of-17 to score only 17 points.
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LA Lakers fans themselves a night on X, formerly Twitter. They couldn't help but highlight that the win saved Darvin Ham from a potential firing.
"DARVIN HAM SURVIVES," one Lakers fan wrote.
More reactions followed:
Darvin Ham firing rumors have received support from a vast section of the Lakers fans, who reckon he hasn't maximized the roster at his disposal. Some even think that he has lost the locker room, which was supported by one of the reports later.
Darvin Ham, LA Lakers, step up in crunch win vs LA Clippers
The LA Lakers recorded their biggest win of the season against the LA Clippers on Monday night. Not many expected the Lakers to come out on the winning side. However, an all-around efficient effort from Ham to every player who played significant minutes sealed the deal for the 17x NBA champions.
LeBron James broke out of his slump to shoot over 50.0% for the first time in two games. The former MVP had a game-high 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting. He also had eight rebounds and seven assists. Anthony Davis finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and three steals on 10-of-15 shooting.
The Lakers bench also returned to form, as they combined for 31 points on a respectable 13-of-29 clip. The returning D'Angelo Russell and backup big Christian Wood were the best performers in the second unit, giving the Lakers' starters much-needed support.
Taurean Prince had one of his best outings as a Laker, hitting a clutch 3-pointer to give the Lakers a three-point lead with just over a minute left. He also sank a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left to maintain LA's advantage.
Darvin Ham was near-perfect with his rotations. He staggered LeBron and AD's minutes well in the first half to ensure that LA Lakers didn't lose momentum. LA will hope that they can continue to build on the win and get back on track after a dismal last month.
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