Lakers Outlast Warriors in Gritty 105-99 Win Behind Hachimura, LeBron
Even without some of the usual star-studded firepower, Saturday night’s matchup between the Lakers and Warriors at Crypto.com Arena still had a playoff-like edge. There was no Stephen Curry, no Luka Doncic, no Jimmy Butler in action - but that only opened the door for new faces to step up. And the Lakers took full advantage, grinding out a 105-99 win to notch their third straight victory.
Hachimura Seizes the Spotlight
With Luka Doncic sidelined, Rui Hachimura slid into the starting lineup and wasted no time making his presence felt. He opened the scoring with a confident three and kept the momentum going throughout the night. Jaxson Hayes, starting in place of Deandre Ayton (a late scratch due to knee soreness), added an early dunk to help the Lakers jump out to a quick lead.
But if the first quarter taught us anything, it’s that early sparks don’t always translate to sustained offense. The Lakers went ice cold after their initial burst, and it wasn’t until Luke Kennard - making his team debut - knocked down a three that the offense found some rhythm again. Still, the Warriors managed to edge ahead 21-20 after one.
LeBron Steadies the Ship
LeBron James, as he’s done countless times before, took control when things got choppy. He opened the second quarter with a flurry of buckets to help the Lakers retake the lead. But both teams struggled to find consistency - turnovers, missed shots, and sloppy possessions defined much of the first half.
Despite holding a narrow lead for most of the second quarter, the Lakers saw it slip away just before halftime when Pat Spencer beat the buzzer to give Golden State a 42-41 edge heading into the break.
That lead didn’t last long.
Third-Quarter LeBron Turns Up the Heat
Draymond Green picked up a technical foul as the first half ended, giving Austin Reaves a free throw to tie things up as the third quarter began. Then came a vintage LeBron run - nine straight points to open the half and force a quick Warriors timeout. It was the kind of burst that reminds you exactly why he’s still the heartbeat of this team.
The Lakers stretched their lead to 12 at one point, but Golden State refused to fade. Moses Moody and Draymond Green hit timely threes to keep things close. Hachimura, again, delivered a timely response - drilling a corner three to end the third quarter and give L.A. a 79-71 cushion heading into the final frame.
Closing Time: Kennard, Reaves, Vanderbilt Deliver
Hachimura didn’t let up in the fourth, scoring five quick points to keep the Warriors at bay. But Golden State kept swinging, with Moody and Green knocking down back-to-back threes to cut the lead to one.
That’s when Luke Kennard stepped up again. With the game hanging in the balance, he buried a clutch corner triple. Then Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt followed with back-to-back layups, giving the Lakers some much-needed breathing room.
From there, L.A. locked in defensively and controlled the tempo down the stretch, pushing the lead back to double digits and sealing the win.
What’s Next
The Lakers won’t have much time to rest. A challenging stretch looms before the All-Star break, starting with a back-to-back against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs on Monday and Tuesday. Then it’s a date with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday to close out the first half of the season.
But for now, the Lakers can enjoy the momentum of a three-game win streak - and the fact that, even without some of their biggest names, they’re finding ways to win.