Newest LA shooter torched Golden State from beyond the arc.
Malik Beasley’s role with your Los Angeles Lakers was clear as day the moment he touched down with the team following a crazy trade deadline. He needs to stay ready whenever his defender wanders too far off while watching LeBron James or Anthony Davis go to work, and be ready to hit three’s.
This was evident in the marksman’s first game suited up with the purple and gold when he attempted six shots from deep off the rip. Even though he didn’t connect on any of them, Davis and the rest of the team emphasized that they want Beasley to keep shooting with confidence. It is a mentality like this that paved the way for his performance against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
Beasley finished with 25 points (the most on both sides) on 63% shooting from three-point territory in a 124-111 victory over the Klay Thompson-led Warriors. This was a breath of fresh air for Lakers fans as despite James struggling from the field, their newest sniper and the rest of the squad took care of business.
The 26-year-old spoke with reporters following the win for an interview (as captured by Spectrum SportsNet) and explained some factors that contributed to his success.
“You got LeBron and AD, you want to make sure you do the right thing,” said Beasley. “They’re leaders so I’m just making sure I made the right plays and now that they’re telling me to do what I do, it makes it easier on me.”
With the Western Conference still being so wide open this late into the season and the standings remaining very close, LA can still be poised for a playoff run if they start a winning streak. Seeing such productivity from a new addition in Beasley is a good sign, especially after D’Angelo Russell’s ankle injury.
Head coach Darvin Ham was also captured reminding Beasley to continue pulling from three while he was mic’d up during Thursday’s game.
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