LOS ANGELES — The Lakers’ 110-103 season-opening victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night was momentous for multiple reasons.
Star forward LeBron James and his son, Bronny, officially became the first father and son to play in an NBA game simultaneously – let alone as teammates.
It marked the first time the Lakers have won their season opener since 2016.
And the victory at Crypto.com Arena was the Lakers’ first under first-time head coach JJ Redick, whose impact was felt from the onset with the team’s style of play and hustle.
Despite having a subpar shooting game, the Lakers’ emphasis under Redick on being more structured and organized on both sides of the ball, as well as making efforts toward winning the possession battle, were showcased.
Anthony Davis was a focal point offensively, even during late-game situations when the Lakers often found themselves not running the offense through him last season.
The All-Star big man finished with 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and one steal in 38 minutes. He scored 11 points in the final seven minutes to help the Lakers close out the victory.
Counting his late assist to Rui Hachimura, Davis was directly responsible for 13 of the Lakers’ 18 points after subbing back into the game with 7:09 left.
Hachimura played with a ferocity and aggressiveness that he didn’t consistently display last season, finishing with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
The Lakers had three more offensive rebounds (15-12) and nine fewer turnovers (7-16) than the Timberwolves, helping give them an advantage in field goals attempted (95-85) while only taking two fewer free throws than Minnesota (25-27).
LeBron finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Austin Reaves (12 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and Jaxson Hayes (10 points, four rebounds) also scored in double figures. First-round draft pick Dalton Knecht scored five points in his NBA debut.
LeBron and Bronny made history in the second quarter when they checked into the game together with four minutes left in the first half. They played 2½ minutes on the court together.
The Timberwolves were led by Anthony Edwards’ 27 points, six rebounds and three assists. Julius Randle had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Donte DiVincenzo had 10 points in their Minnesota debuts after the trade sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York three weeks ago.
More to come on this story.
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