Getty
Gabe Vincent #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers is guarded by Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors.
THE the Los Angeles Lakers the backcourt is about to get deeper just in time for their playoff push.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Gabe Vincent will return from his left knee surgery by mid-to-late March, barring any setbacks.
“Gabe Vincent is doing more and more on the pitch” Charania said on the March 5 episode of “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV. “The Lakers will know more, I think, next week where Gabe Vincent stands. But barring any setbacks, it is still around mid-March or the end of March that he will be able to return to the lineup. The Lakers can always use another guard in the backcourt.
Vincent, the Lakers’ biggest free agency acquisition for $33 million over three years, will return to a roster where D’Angelo Russell And Austin Reaves have firmly established themselves as the starting backcourt.
Vincent will rival Lakers buyout deal signing Spencer Dinwiddie for backup tasks.
“What you see is [Lakers] the players are starting to understand their role,” Charania said. “Taurean Prince now comes off the bench, playing about 15-20 minutes, making threes; Spencer Dinwiddie, who plays the three-and-D guard position on that bench, and then Gabe Vincent, you would kind of want to change the tempo, change the rhythm. That’s why they signed him from Miami. So the hope is to avoid any setbacks or comebacks at some point over the next few weeks. »
Vincent averaged 5.0 points, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals in five games with the Lakers before deciding to go under the knife.
D’Angelo Russell catches fire
After being benched in a 124-114 loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets, Russell responded with 26 points to lead the Lakers’ rebound victory.
Russell shot 9 of 17 from the floor and made 5 3-pointers as they beat the West’s No. 2 seed Oklahoma City Thunder for the third time this season 116-104 on Monday March 4 at home.
With Russell firing on all cylinders, the Lakers overcame a 12-point Thunder lead in the first quarter and led by as many as 25 in the fourth quarter.
Russell made three straight 3-pointers in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, which killed any hopes of a Thunder comeback.
"I just knew he had those D-Lo moments, man," Lakers coach Darvin Ham told reporters after the victory, “where he can just throw any way and he’ll make his way through the hoop.” It’s great to see him having fun, his teammates cheering him on, cheering him on, being aggressive and decisive. D-Lo is extremely talented and we need him to perform at this level for us to have this ultimate success.
LeBron James nears triple-double after 40,000km milestone
After becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points, LeBron James played his usual all-around game.
The 39-year-old Lakers superstar produced 19 points on 50% shooting from the floor with 11 rebounds and 8 assists.
His co-star Anthony Davis contributed a double-double (24 points and 12 rebounds) with 3 blocks for the Lakers, who improved to 34-29 and are just two games out of the West’s top six.
The Lakers have won 10 of their last 14 games.
Alder Almo is a basketball reporter who covers the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors for Heavy. He has over 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is originally from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Learn more about Alder Almo
More Lakers news
Loading more stories
