The Los Angeles Lakers returned from the All-Star break in a big way on Thursday night.
LA entered the evening as the 13th team in the West, a long way off from even qualifying for the play-in tournament at the end of the season.
They wanted to win their first game back but that would be tough to do as they were facing off against the Golden State Warriors.
It turns out it wasn’t that hard at all and the Lakers beat the Warriors, 124-111.
Lakers had EIGHT players score 10+ PTS
Bron and AD only played 26 min 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/Cr1L0P8oNC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 24, 2023
Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis were healthy and on the floor but they surprisingly weren’t the most important players on the team.
The entire team got in on the act and helped make the win possible.
In fact, the Lakers had eight players who scored 10+ points during the match and allowed both James and Davis to only play for 26 minutes.
Malik Beasley led the team with 25 points, while Austin Reaves was good for 17, Rui Hachimura produced 14, Dennis Schroder had 13, and Mo Bamba and Lonnie Walker were solid with 10 each.
For months now, fans of the Lakers have been eager to see the entire roster carry the team.
Typically, James and Davis do most of the heavy lifting with only a few other stars chipping away at opponents.
Fans and analysts said the team could no longer be a two-man show.
Thursday night may have been a turning point for the Lakers.
It might have proved that the team has more depth than most people think and that will be key for them moving forward.
NEXT: Skip Bayless Makes A Bold Lakers Prediction
