Back to the game.
After the Knicks easily scored on their first possession of the Second Half, possession immediately returned to the Lakers.
James once again held the ball up top and initiated the offense.
He dribbled in place as he waited for his teammates to get into position, then fired a quick Through Pass to DeRozan at the elbow.
DeRozan caught the ball without a moment's hesitation. Seizing the chance while Chen Xi was held up by Toppin, he rose straight into a Mid-range jumper.
Swish~~
The Basketball swished through the net.
That was obviously good news for the Lakers.
Thank goodness! DeRozan had managed to maintain his first-half touch~~
Then it was the Knicks' turn with the ball.
Rose brought the ball across half court and found Drummond at the Top of the Key for a Pick-and-Roll. After driving, he passed to Drummond as he rolled to the basket.
Drummond caught the ball and went straight at the rim, rising for a layup over Toppin.
The ball wouldn't go in.
But after it bounced out, Drummond immediately leaped again, soared over Toppin, and reclaimed the rebound. Then he launched a second-chance attack.
This time, Toppin fouled him.
At the free-throw line, Drummond calmly made one of two, then gave the ball back to the Lakers.
For New York, the player who'd taken the longest to fit in among this season's new additions was probably Drummond—Andre Drummond.
His athleticism and rebounding were certainly worth praising.
But his problem was that his ability to finish had declined considerably from its peak, while his vision remained as terrible as ever.
When he caught the ball under the basket or grabbed a rebound, he almost never considered a second option. Nine times out of ten, he simply went straight up and attacked