Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers got to experience a lot of bad and a whole lot of good on Sunday night.
The team was facing off against the Portland Trail Blazers in Rose City and although they got off to a decent start, they fell behind in a huge way.
In fact, the Lakers were down by 25 points as halftime rolled around.
Most people had written the team off at that point because it’s rare for any team, especially this one, to rebound from such a deficit.
But in the end, the Lakers won 121-112 in a shocking victory.
31 points and 14 boards for Thomas Bryant pic.twitter.com/7Ce6CGQXtc
— ENJ🏀Y (@EnjoyBBall) January 23, 2023
One of the biggest reasons for the surprise win was Thomas Bryant, the Lakers big man who came to life in a way he never had before.
Bryant scored a career-high 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.
He was dominant on both ends of the court and looked like someone who was very comfortable starting for the team.
Over the last few weeks, Bryant has stepped up in Anthony Davis‘ absence and has proven to be crucial to the team’s winning record.
He has secured 9 double-doubles recently and has come into his own, working seamlessly alongside LeBron James and others.
Bryant has done so well, in fact, that head coach Darvin Ham has mentioned the premise of him still starting when Davis returns later this week.
If that is the case, the Lakers may be about to get a whole lot bigger and possibly a whole lot better too.
If NBA fans weren’t aware of Bryant before Sunday night, they surely are now because he had a game that was impossible to ignore.
NEXT: LeBron James Has Not Slowed Down Since His Birthday