Lakers continue rolling behind D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Davis

D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis lead the Lakers to a pivotal win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to keep the good times rolling.

The Lakers grabbed a pivotal win on Saturday afternoon against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 116-97, moving them up to the eighth seed.

It was another D’Angelo Russell masterclass as he scored 28 points while going 6-12 from behind the arc.

LeBron James had a strong performance scoring 24 points with 12 assists. Anthony Davis had himself a block party swatting six shots while scoring 22 points with 13 rebounds, three steals, and four assists.

Taurean Prince had an incredible game off the bench, scoring 18 points and going 4-5 from three.

After a quick three-point lead for the Cavs early, both teams heated up and scored back and forth at will. The Lakers were able to grab a four-point lead.

Although Austin has struggled from behind the arc, his assists have been consistent and a lob to LeBron for a two-handed dunk wooed the crowd.

LA’s lead faded fast and the Cavs grabbed a four-point lead of their own. A nice defensive effort by the Lakers stopped the Cavs from drilling a three to end the period,and LA kept a three-point lead to end the first.

The second quarter began with a barrage of shots from Taurean, LeBron and D’Lo. LA jumped one of the quickest 13-point leads they had all season long. The defense tightened up and the Lakers were making it hard for the Cavs to find their shots.

LA has struggled with bench production, but that wasn’t a major issue Saturday afternoon, as Taurean notched 11 points in the first half.

After that insane spurt, the Lakers were up by 16. The lead dwindled to nine as the Cavs began to find their shot again. It was increasingly clear this game would continue to be a battle of offense, as each team kept heating up.

The Cavs' 9-0 scoring run cut the deficit to five, but LA held them off to end the half up by nine.

The third quarter saw the Cavs cutting the deficit to three, while the Lakers looked lackadaisical. A shot by Darius Garland to tie the game made Darvin Ham call a timeout to stop the bleeding. This quarter was full of turnovers from both teams who couldn’t control themselves, but the Cavs were able to grab a four-point lead.

An 11-0 response by LA, led by the great effort of Austin, helped them recapture the lead by seven. The scoring run went to 17-0 and a three by AD put LA up by 13. The Cavs couldn’t find an answer and were down 12 to end the third.

The Cavs slowly cut the deficit to 10 to start the fourth quarter while the Lakers were still cooking. However, a few mistakes helped the Cavs regain some confidence. AD and LeBron connected for a layup that put LA up 14.

The Lakers put their foot on the Cavs necks to keep them struggling. With three minutes left in the game, the Cavs couldn’t find any spark. Garbage time was here and the Lakers won their way out of the ninth seed!

Key Takeaways:

Something the Lakers struggled with a lot this season is staying engaged to keep a big lead. Once you take a team out of a game, keeping your foot on the gas pedal is key to keeping the momentum in your favor.

Stop the turnovers. The Lakers need to keep their heads in the game. The turnovers pile up and they create issues for LA all the time.

The Lakers’ next game is Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.