Monday’s big number: +12 | Lakers Blog | Los Angel…
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That’s the first quarter point differential for the Lakers in five games since Pau Gasol returned from him hamstring injury. Don’t get hung up on the fact only one in that quintet of opponents- the 9-8 Oklahoma City Thunder- is currently above .500. It doesn’t diminish the trend. (Raise your hand if you spent much of last season complaining the Lakers too often played down to their competition…)
Early leads change the tenor of a game completely, both from a strategic (chasing points often means changing the offense, taking more chances defensively, and so on, creating a position of weakness) and psychological (there’s an alpha dog factor here that can play on the opposition, particularly against weaker teams) standpoint.
Obviously there will be nights when LA doesn’t finish Q1, or Q4 for that matter, with a lead, but if strong, focused starts become part of this team’s personality, they’ll enter the playoffs a better group than they were last season.
