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LOS ANGELES – LeBron James has so far fulfilled his early promise of bringing more wins back to the Lakers.
But even on nights when the Lakers win, even the most unintimidating opponents have required some breath-stealing heroics to seal victory.
It was heart-pounding until the end on Sunday night, as Trae Young drove into the paint determined to upend the Lakers at Staples Center with a buzzer beater. But 36-year-old Tyson Chandler — the oldest Laker who is the team’s newest signing — rose up to deny his floater at the rim, flexing and pumping his fists with a proud fury as confetti streamed down after a 107-106 win.
If the reaction seemed outsized, with James hugging Chandler and pounding his chest on the court, it might be that his enthusiasm hasn’t worn off since he signed on Wednesday. After all, since then, the Lakers have won three straight.
“Win, man,” Chandler said. “I still get excited by every single win.”
It was just the Hawks, a team that on paper the Lakers (7-6) should’ve easily put to bed. But winning required James (26 points) to make a thrilling slam with 15 seconds remaining, just moments after a sellout crowd had groaned after watching him miss a pair of free throws.
Even as James admitted “I’m garbage” at the free throw line lately, he still expressed relief at winning a close one — something that wasn’t easy at the beginning of the season. James said he took his emotional cues from Chandler, who he thinks has been rejuvenated from his move from Phoenix to his hometown of Los Angeles.
“For him to be playing winning basketball once again, I think those emotions came out,” James said. “You see a lot of game-winning shots, you see game-winning assists, but for you to see a game winning defensive block like that, you don’t see that much in our league.”
It was the Lakers’ third win in a row, and the fifth in the past six games.
Josh Hart helped fuel a late push for victory, first drawing a foul to make a free throw, then dishing off to Kyle Kuzma on a fastbreak to tie the game at 104 with 1:34 remaining. Kuzma then made a free throw on a technical foul on Kent Bazemore to put the Lakers up by a point.
Temporarily, 41-year-old Vince Carter stole the show by driving in for a go-ahead dunk before the final minute of play.
At one point in the third quarter, the Lakers were leading by 15 points and appeared poised to easily win a second game in as many nights against a rebuilding team with young stars.
But while the Hawks are youthful, they were not pushovers. Rookie guard Trae Young (20 points, 12 assists) helped push Atlanta back in the third quarter, making plays by threading under the basket on search dribbles, and also stepping back for his much-hyped long-range shots.
The Lakers also struggled in the frontcourt, giving up 17 points and 11 rebounds to one-time lottery pick Alex Len. JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler (Len’s former teammate in Phoenix) combined for just 12 points and 14 rebound.
The Lakers looked like a team that had played on the road less than 24 hours before, showing a sloppiness that repeatedly allowed the Hawks back in the game. The very start was particularly sluggish: The Hawks ripped nine straight points from the tip-off before Kyle Kuzma finally put the Lakers on the board two minutes in.
In the first half, the sloppiness manifested as 15 turnovers, with the Lakers too often testing the limits of high-risk passes in transition or awkward lob attempts that weren’t converted.
“It was not a pretty win for us tonight, but a win is a win,” coach Luke Walton said. “We will take it and learn from it.”
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