LeBron James may have a little bit more grey in his beard since the last time the Los Angeles Lakers played an organized basketball game against another team, but he didn’t look any worse for the wear, or the wait, for the first Lakers game in four months. The Mavericks won the scrimmage 108-104, but in a game that didn’t matter, it was encouraging to see the Lakers and their stars still in rhythm.
LeBron played 15 minutes, scoring 12 points and dishing five assists, while his co-star Anthony Davis also played the same amount of minutes, while also scoring 12 points on the night. Frank Vogel told reporters before the game that he only intended to play James and Davis in the first half and he followed through with that statement. James had a few highlights in his game.
Dwight Howard also completed an incredible alley-oop on a lob from James.
Another highlight of the first half was the arrival of Waiters Island to Lake Buena Vista. He had nine points, including this impressive play in the first half, including a buzzer-beater to end the first quarter.
L.A. also saw Kentavious Caldwell-Pope return to the game after turning an ankle in the first half, which was a major relief given their other injuries and absences in the backcourt. All things considered, the Lakers had a successful first scrimmage and they still have two more to go before they play games that count, starting next Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
