LOS ANGELES — Maybe if it was earlier in the season, the Warriors’ mid-game strategy against the Lakers on Thursday would’ve led to a successful comeback.
Before Gabe Vincent’s role on the team increased. Before the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith. Before Jarred Vanderbilt’s return to the floor.
But there Vincent was, not backing down when getting tangled up with Draymond Green late in the second quarter, with Finney-Smith by his side.
“They just tried to pick up their physicality,” Vincent said. “They had other players that started [to] chirp and they started to make a few plays and their physicality picked up.”
And there Vanderbilt was, face-to-face with Kevon Looney after Looney’s hard foul against Vanderbilt after his offensive rebound and putback attempt after the Warriors cut the Lakers’ 26-point second-quarter lead to seven midway through the third.
“Personally, I love physicality,” Vanderbilt said. “So I love when those [types] of nitty-gritty games and I feel like we [were] up big in the first half and they upped the physicality on us to try to change the game a little bit.”
Maybe if the Lakers hadn’t turned a corner in the season like they have, they would’ve allowed the Warriors’ uptick in physicality to completely turn the game in Golden State’s favor.
But that didn’t happen – with the Lakers relinquishing most of their lead, but never trailing in the second, beating the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena for their fourth consecutive victory, eighth win in nine games and 10th victory in 12 games.
“I love how we responded,” Vanderbilt said. “We [were] able to fight back and bring that level of physicality. That’s what it’s about, hard-fought games. We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game and we [were] able to pull out with a win.”
Those moments, among others, helped make it evident as to why the Lakers wanted to ensure they kept the “fabric of the team”, as coach JJ Redick put it to describe Vincent, Vanderbilt, Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura, together coming out of the NBA’s trade deadline Thursday.
Because they provide the Lakers with characteristics that they need – toughness; scrappiness.
“Rob and I have had a number of conversations about that group of players and we feel like culturally, they are the fabric of the team,” Redick said. “And they help us on the court, they help us in the locker room, they help us in their spirit. They are professional. They are consistent. Those are the guys you want to coach and we value all of those guys a lot.”
More often than not, those values aren’t fully reflected in a traditional box score.
But on Thursday, some of it was.
Vincent knocked down five 3-pointers, the most he’s made in a game as a Laker, while also being one of the main defenders against Warriors star Steph Curry.
Finney-Smith added seven points, three rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes, the most he’s played since the Lakers acquired him at the end of December.
Vanderbilt added five points, 14 rebounds (four offensive) and three assists in 21 minutes – the most playing time he’s received since returning to the floor in the Jan. 25 road win over the Warriors.
‘Those two guys specifically, they breathe life into me on the defensive end a lot,’” Vincent said of Finney-Smith and Vanderbilt. “Whether it’s their communication or their effort that they’re putting forward. There’s a number of inspiring plays that happen within 48 minutes, whether it’s a box out or rebound, a loose ball. And those two guys, they embody the small plays that are winning plays that we need. So they’re inspiring guys every single night.”
Hachimura had a game-best individual plus/minus of plus-12 to go with his 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
“That’s our job,” Vanderbilt said. “To be the glue guys, to be the dogs, to be the enforcers, whatever it takes. Obviously we got two great stars, three great stars. They lead the pack for us. So everybody else has got to fill in, do the dirty work and fill in the holes. That’s our job.”
PACERS AT LAKERS
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/radio: ESPN, Spectrum Sportsnet/710 AM