With a victory against Thunder, the Lakers kick off their homestand.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated Oklahoma City by a score of 112-105, achieving only their sixth victory in the last 18 games. Anthony Davis scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and LeBron James scored 17 of his 25 points after halftime.

LOS ANGELES — The The beginning of a homestand should be done in this manner.

The last time the Los Angeles Lakers spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles, they began their tenure with a lethargic loss to the Miami Heat. 

Cam Reddish did not play because of knee swelling, and the Lakers began Russell, Reaves, James, Davis, and Taurean Prince for the first time since November 8th. Davis was also a starter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 24 points and six assists for the Thunder despite playing through a right knee strain. On the other hand, Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey both struggled offensively and were held to a combined total of 17 points.

One of the factors that led to the Lakers’ 64-44 edge in points in the paint was Davis’ aggressiveness, while Holmgren’s early foul problems was also a factor.

The Thunder have suffered four losses in their most recent sixteen games, and two of those losses were caused by the Lakers.

This coming Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers will continue their homestand by playing host to the Dallas Mavericks.There was heat on January 3, which would eventually lead to a homestand of 2-3.

With their next five games being played in Los Angeles, the Lakers’ sense of urgency to make the most of this chance was evident from the beginning of their game on Monday night, which resulted in a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena by a score of 112-105.

The Lakers (20-21) had the kind of balance that Coach Darvin Ham and his squad have been seeking for for virtually the entirety of the season. They returned to the starting unit that they had used at the beginning of the season.

Their headliners, LeBron James (25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists) and Anthony Davis (27 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one blocked shot), made their presence known from the very beginning of the game. Furthermore, the depth of the roster was really impressive.

A pick-and-roll between James and Austin Reaves, with Davis cutting baseline before James fed him for a dunk to give the Lakers a 108-100 lead with 51 seconds left, was the decisive play that helped the Lakers secure the victory. This occurred when the game became more competitive in the final minutes of the game, when the Lakers’ lead of 13 points in the fourth quarter was cut to six with 2 minutes and five seconds remaining.

Jalen Williams (25 points, six assists, three steals) scored a three-point shot with 23 seconds remaining on the clock, allowing the Thunder (27-12) to tie the Minnesota Timberwolves (28-11) for the top record in the Western Conference. The Thunder had missed two three-point shots before Williams made one.

In the final minutes of the game, Reaves (15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and seven assists) and Davis both scored a pair of free throws when the Thunder purposefully committed fouls.

The outcome was only the sixth victory for the Lakers in their previous 18 games, but there is optimism that it may serve as a catalyst for the kind of winning streak that they haven’t had in over a month.

After playing in a reserve role for a few weeks, D’Angelo Russell started his second consecutive game and added 14 points and seven assists to his total.

Off the bench, Rui Hachimura (12 points, two blocks) and Christian Wood (11 points, seven rebounds, three blocks) made key contributions to the team’s success. Additionally, Jarred Vanderbilt did so, particularly defensively, as he made three thefts in the span of 18 minutes.