Last week: Won at Phoenix 123-115, beat Golden State 120-94, beat Sacramento 99-97, beat Atlanta 122-101
This week: Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City, Friday at Oklahoma City, Saturday at Memphis
With their win over the Hawks Sunday night coupled with Boston’s loss earlier in the day at Sacramento, the Los Angeles Lakers finished Week 4 with the best record in the NBA at 11-2. The Lakers were a perfect 4-0 last week and have won 11 of 12 overall.
LeBron James continues to defy those who declared him “washed” this offseason, averaging 26.0 points, 11.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.8 minutes per game last week while shooting 52.5 percent overall and 10-for-26 (38.5 percent) from 3-point range, including a blistering 6-for-10 against Atlanta on Sunday.
James has passed for double-digit assist counts in his last five games and 10 of Los Angeles’ 13 games thus far. He is running away with the league lead in assists, averaging 11.2 points per game. If he continues at this pace, James would become the first non-guard in NBA history to lead the NBA in assists per game (Wilt Chamberlain led the NBA in total assists in 1967-68).
The Lakers are getting it done on the defensive end, with an NBA-best 99.9 defensive rating. Los Angeles is choking off the painted area very well, allowing 43.4 points in the paint (sixth in the NBA), while scoring 53.7 points in the paint (second in the NBA). That 10.3-point margin per game in the paint is nearly identical to the Lakers’ 10.2 net scoring margin overall.