The Lakers beat the Cavaliers on the road despite having seven players in double digits.

The Lakers were shorthanded entering their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they still managed to win, defeating LeBron James’ former club 121-115.

Los Angeles saw seven players score in double digits, with Anthony Davis leading the way with 32 points. He also had 13 rebounds and three blocks.

LeBron James was also outstanding, scoring 22 points, dishing out six assists, and grabbing four rebounds.

Jaxson Hayes led the way with 10 points, while Christian Wood chipped in with 13 points off the bench.

The Lakers have improved to 10-7 on the season.

Los Angeles got off to a strong start in the first quarter, leading by as many as eight points. In Cam Reddish’s absence, Max Christie began the game and had a great impact with a pair of dunks to help fuel the Lakers’ attack.

James, who was already struggling with a left calf contusion, was injured again during the game. This time, it was a shot to the face in the first quarter, but thankfully, it only needed little medical attention and did not keep James out of the game for long.

Despite their strong start, the Lakers let up 40 points in the opening quarter and trailed by six going into the second.

The Lakers experimented with larger lines for the rest of the first half, placing Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood in the frontcourt at the same time.

Wood shone in these minutes, scoring all of his points in the first half, while Hayes was a perfect 5-5 from the field, adding 10 points to keep the Lakers in the game at the half, behind by only one point.

Both teams traded baskets in the third, and Davis went off, scoring 15 points in that quarter alone, but Los Angeles didn’t make up any distance, and they began the fourth behind by one.

With 12 minutes remaining and behind the Cavs, the purple and gold needed a scoring surge to edge them out.

James started things off with an assist to Taurean Prince, followed by a three-pointer to give the Lakers a four-point lead with little over ten minutes remaining.

Davis returned to the game at 7:48 and quickly made an impact, completing a James lob. Unfortunately, Cleveland replied with their own alley-oop, completed by Jarret Allen, to bring the deficit back to one.

L.A. replied with a 7-0 run as the Cavs went scoreless halfway through the quarter.

Cleveland had one more run remaining, but the Lakers could breathe a sigh of relief after a missed free throw, a James driving floater, and an emotional slam from the King. Reaves converted a pair of free throws to push the margin to four, and the game was over.

Important Takeaways

Although Davis was the main attraction today, Hayes and Wood deserve credit for keeping the Lakers in the game in the first half.

Head coach Darvin Ham highlighted the “next man up mentality” essential to win during the pregame news conference, and Hayes and Wood’s combined 23 points off the bench demonstrate that.