LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the win column behind a second-half surge and six players scoring in double figures on Wednesday night, snapping a three-game skid in their 117-108 win over the Miami Heat.
The Lakers, who were outscored 73-40 in Monday’s second-half loss to the Spurs, flipped the script to complete a second-half comeback over the Heat. They outscored Miami 63-42 in the second half, behind a defense that held them to 19 points in the third quarter and notched 12 total steals—second most all season.
“We trusted the process and we made shots in the second half, but it was really our defense that allowed us to get back in the game and ultimately win,” head coach JJ Redick said.
Miami’s Tyler Herro, described in the scouting report by Redick as someone you have to treat like Steph Curry, caught fire early, hitting five threes on five attempts in the first half, reminiscent of the Lakers' loss on December 4, where he had 31 points on nine 3's.
The Lakers' physicality and adjusted game plan slowed him down in the second half after he had poured in 22 by halftime. He finished with 34 points.
Ball security was another issue in L.A.’s previous loss, turning it over 19 times against San Antonio. The Lakers answered that with six turnovers—second lowest on the season—against Miami, turning it over just once in the second half to the Heat’s 19 total.
The Lakers tied a season-high 33 assists in the win.
Here are some takeaways from the Lakers win over the Heat:
Starting Unit Surge
The Lakers' starting lineup got off to a rocky start in the first half, but a third-quarter surge turned things around as all five starters finished in double figures to combine for 97 points—most of which came in the second half.
Rui Hachimura, who has had scored under 10 points in four of his last six games, bounced back behind an efficient shooting night. He tallied 12 of his team-high 23 points (eight rebounds) in the second half on an efficient 60%, nine-for-15, shooting from the field.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis would finish with 22 points each. Davis had 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in his production, while James had nine assists and five rebounds.
Since the Lakers traded point guard D’Angelo Russell to the Nets, Austin Reaves has stepped up as the primary ball handler. His increased production was evident and why there's trust in that department with 14 assists—the second-most this season—along with 14 points.
Max Christie finished with 16 points on six-for-12 (three made 3’s) shooting from the field.
Vincent’s Revenge on a Needed Night
With Dorian Finney-Smith out of the lineup as he welcomed the birth of his son, the Lakers needed an extra boost from the bench unit to fill his production.
L.A. native Gabe Vincent was the sixth Laker to score in double figures with a season-high 14 points against his former team. This marked the first time in seven games and the third time all season that Vincent cracked the double-digit mark.
Next Game
The Lakers will stay in L.A. for their next four games with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday (7:30 p.m.) night. The Nets are 14-27 and have lost six of their last seven games.
After that the Lakers will travel down south to Inglewood to face the Clippers in their new arena, Intuit Dome, for the first time. The following two games at home are against the Wizards (Jan. 21) and Celtics (Jan. 23).