The 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers have been a roller coaster.
So, even when they’re not good, they’re still must-watch television, just because you don’t know what’s going to happen.
That was the case again on Sunday night during their visit to Moda Center.
They hit the ground running and led the Portland Trail Blazers by nine in the first quarter but couldn’t keep that intensity up in the next twelve minutes.
The Blazers outscored them 45-13 in the second quarter, leading to the worst deficit in a single quarter (32) in franchise history and a 25-point halftime deficit.
We wouldn’t have blamed any Lakers fan for just turning the TV off and calling it a night, but that would’ve been a massive mistake.
The Lakers rallied to come back from a 25-point deficit, marking the second-largest comeback in franchise history.
Lakers have their worst quarter in franchise history and their second-biggest halftime comeback in franchise history the same night. Just the stone cold content machine nuts every game.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 23, 2023
Once again, LeBron James led the way for Darvin Ham‘s team, scoring 37 points with 11 rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a couple of three-pointers en route to a much-needed seven-point win.
You never know what version of the Lakers you’re getting, but this kind of performance proves that they’re not as far away from contention as most analysts think they are.
Anthony Davis continues to go pain-free in his recovery, and he’s expected to be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
Russell Westbrook has excelled off the bench, and the Lakers are just 1.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, so maybe, we shouldn’t give up on their playoff chances just yet.
NEXT: Lakers Big Man Had A Career Night On Sunday