The Lakers had already been to Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Detroit and Boston. Atlanta was city No. 7, and then, finally, they’d be home.
So when Dennis Schroder dribbled left, stopped at the elbow, got fouled and yelled, “And one,” maybe he was talking about how many more flights he was from his own bed.
After a long trip, the siren song pulling your mind home is loud, and in the final minutes of the Hawks game, it got louder and louder.
But the Lakers survived, LeBron James drilling a huge jumper and the defense’s clamps getting tighter in the final minutes of a107-99 win.
Anthony Davis scored 25, James contributed 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and Montrezl Harrell chipped in 19 points off the bench, sending the team home with a 5-2 record on the season’s longest trip. Schroder had 16 points
Trae Young led the Hawks with 25 points, while John Collins added 22 and Clint Capela finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
The Lakers outscored Atlanta 32-23 in the fourth, their offense waking up on a night when they’re outside shooting was largely off. And while their lead got cut to one in the final minutes, a timely deep triple from James ensured that the flight home would be a happy one.
