On January 23, 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Portland Trailblazers. The match ended by beating the Trailblazers 121-112. Most importantly, the squad ended their losing streak with this win, which was important to increase their chances of qualifying for the playoffs. But this victory is more special because of how they came back from nowhere. Albeit the Lakers started well, they lost control of the game halfway. It seemed like another match went begging for the team until they turned things around.
The coach of the Lakers team, Darvin Ham, was not impressed with what happened and how things were standing during that stage. According to the Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder, Darvin Ham angrily walked out of the game. But before leaving, all he said was for us to figure out how to get out of this mess. However, in the end, Ham’s players did figure out a way for one of the most memorable comebacks of the tournament.
During the break, Patrick Beverley gave his teammates a powerful speech. He said, “let’s remember, guys, we are fortunate to live our dreams. We get to play this game. This game helps us take care of our families. So no matter what lets play the game with swag and lets have fun.” Patrick naturally sounded pretty happy about how things went from there. LeBron James scored vital 37 points. 17 points out of which came in the third quarter helping his team overcome the 25 points deficit.
Patrick Beverley’s On-Field and Off-Field Contribution
Beverley had the most famous performance of his career as a Lakers player, although it is not very visible in the score sheet. Beverley scored 4 points, along with a couple of rebounds, assists, steals, and one block. His talks did the magic. Beverley was warned in the second quarter for his verbal battle with Lillard. But he did not stop there. Rather came with a very strong on-ball defense along with more trash talk.
After halftime, it looked like the Lakers had got a grip on the game as they were leading 75-41. It was Patrick Beverley who played the role of the turning point in the match with his attitude. Patrick’s verbal battle with Damian Lillard of the Trailblazers did not work well in the beginning for the team. The Trailblazers finished the second quarter with a healthy lead of 25 points. They outplayed the Lakers in the second quarter scoring 45 point against 13 points. Hence, after the second quarter, Damian Lilliard apparently won the battle against Patrick Beverley.
What Does This Comeback mean For The Lakers Legacy?
Pat Bev just told the interviewer – “tell me I did good job on Dame, don’t say slow shooting night! Cus if he went off, you would say I can’t guard him” …
— Bobby Sheridan TSR Sports ⚾️🏈🏀🎾⛳️ (@SheridanReport) January 23, 2023
He’s right #Lakers #LakeShow #LakersNation pic.twitter.com/2nTq06csc5
Statistically, this epic clash between the Trailblazers and the Lakers broke many records. The Trailblazer’s 32 points blowing away the squad in the second quarter had been the widest margin in the current season. After the third quarter began, what followed was nothing but history in the great legacy of the team.
The 25 points comeback of the Lakers in this match is now listed as the joint second-place holder for overcoming the halftime deficit to win the game. The biggest comeback of the LA in their history was the 28 points comeback against Dallas Mavericks in 2002. It’s good for the Lakers that they got back to their winning way but how far they can go in the current season is the question everybody is wondering about.
