Sandro Mamukelashvili gave the Los Angeles Lakers the kind of lift they needed in Milwaukee, scoring 23 points in his best performance for the team since signing in the summer.
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both dealing with minor injury scares, the Lakers needed production beyond their two leading contributors. Doncic finished with 32 points, while Reaves scored 18. Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton added 10 points apiece, but Mamukelashvili made the biggest impression.
Robert Horry, speaking on the Lakers’ postgame show on Spectrum, said Mamukelashvili has exceeded his expectations and drew a comparison to former Lakers player Julius Randle, who is currently with the Brooklyn Nets.
“You know who I compare him to? He’s a more polished Julius Randle. You watch how Julius just runs you over, he kind of avoids you and gets to the rack, and they’re both left-handed.
“Hopefully this guy can turn into an All-Star like Julius did, because the way he’s been playing lately has been amazing.
“I remember watching him when he was in Toronto, and this dude is just bullying people. He’s just playing, and I didn’t know he could shoot this well.
“There are so many things that he’s able to show you, and it goes to show you that when you get the opportunity to showcase your talent, you can really see what someone can do.”
The Lakers improved to 11-2 with the victory, extending their winning streak to seven games and keeping them atop the Western Conference.
Milwaukee made the opening stretch competitive despite entering as the struggling team. Los Angeles held only a 30-28 advantage after the first quarter, creating the possibility of a difficult night against an opponent they were expected to beat.
Horry said the Lakers recognized the danger and responded after halftime.
“This is that that trap game where you say, “Okay, we can go ahead and half it and get a win.” And you see how Milwaukee was fighting in that first half and the Lakers like, “Oh, no. We can’t have this.”
“And they came out and took care of business in the second half.”
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