NBA 2013-2014 Season Opener Recap - Oct 29 Scores, Results and Winners: Lakers Bag Win Against Clippers Without Kobe
The NBA 2013-2014 season kicked off last night and it was as exciting and amazing as always. Six of the most talked about teams this season were placed up against each other in an aim to start the next nine months of gaming on the right foot.
Aside from all the on court action, fans were also excited to see a number of the team's key players finally on court - the debut of Victor Oladipo for the Magic and the return of Derrick Rose for the Bulls. A number of Lakers fans and basketball watchers also wanted to see how the Mike D'Antoni-led squad would fair this year after a dismal season last year. Notably, the team also played last night without an "out indefinitely" Kobe Bryant, and the departure of center Dwight Howard.
With all the being said, here's how the games turned out at last night's NBA season opener:
Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers, 116-103
The Lakers made their mark this starting, starting this year with a win; and take note, they did so without their main man Kobe Bryant.
After suffering a terrible nightmare - that is, last season - the Lakers seem to be have their guns working as the team beat their hometown buddies Clippers, 116-103.
The Clippers - with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin at the helm - put on a show, much to the delight of the Los Angeles crowd, as they threw lob passes and smashed alley-oops here and there. However, the real highlight of the night was the Lakers' bench players' awesome performance.
Headed by Xavier Henry and Jordan Farmar, who had 22 and 16 pints apiece, the bench player surged the team to a 13-point win. Jodi Meeks also added 13 points, nine in the fourth, while Jordan Hill had 12 as well. With the bench's impressive output, Coach D'Antoni didn't even send Pau Gasol nor Steve Nash in during the fourth. The two joined Kobe Bryant in the sidelines (still aiding an in injury), watching the second stringers pull the lead and the victory.
"The Lakers' 41-point fourth quarter was downright stunning, but the identities of the players responsible for this exciting, free-flowing opener were even more jaw-dropping," NBA.com wrote.
Talking about the win, Henry told the media after the game:
"We're a deep team, and people don't think we're that good. That always fuels us. People are saying we're going to finish 12th or whatever, but we have a great group of guys who go out there and play hard. We're young. We're athletic. We get after it."
The win also spoiled Clippers' new coach Doc Rivers debut with the team after leaving the Boston Celtics. Notably, even with five players posting double digits in points, it wasn't enough to seal the win. Chris Paul had 15 points and 11 assists, while Deandre Jordan posted 17 points and 11 boards.
The L.A. Clippers and the L.A. Lakers will again face each other on January 10, 2014.