The Los Angeles Lakers are no longer winless in the 2023-24 NBA regular season. After losing to the Denver Nuggets on opening night Tuesday, they bounced back and picked up a victory over the Phoenix Suns in their home opener on Thursday night.
The Lakers defeated the Suns 100-95, as all of the storylines from their opener were turned around. The minutes limit for LeBron James was lifted, as he played the entire fourth quarter and 35 total minutes to will his team to victory. After going scoreless in the second half against the Nuggets, Anthony Davis dominated against the Suns, finishing the game with 30 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks.
But, the unsung hero for the Lakers in the win was big man, Christian Wood. Wood came off the bench and played 21 minutes, scoring seven points with 10 rebounds and one assist. His biggest contribution, however, doesn’t show up in a regular box score.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Christian Wood, Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns Updates, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
What Wood was able to do defensively against Kevin Durant was a huge factor in Los Angeles taking home a victory. Not known for his performance on that end of the court, Wood used his length and size to bother Durant when he matched up against him.
That helped contribute to Wood finishing the game with a +23 plus/minus ratio, as the Lakers were dominant in his minutes on the court. His performance also drew praise from head coach Darvin Ham, who was impressed by the effort defensively.
“I thought he did about as good as anyone can do,” Ham said of Wood. “He made a commitment to me when we signed him that that is a part of his game that he wants to get better at. And with his length, his agility, he’s able to contest at a high rate.”
Slowing down or even deterring Durant is an impossibility. He still finished the game with 39 points, shooting 14-of-28 from the field and 10-of-13 from the foul line. But Wood and his Lakers teammates made Durant work for it, as he turned the ball over eight times and nothing came easily.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Christian Wood, Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns Updates, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Wood held Durant to 2-of-5 shooting when matched up against him defensively while also forcing one turnover. If he is going to be able to provide that kind of production on the defensive side of the ball regularly, his reputation around the league is going to vastly improve.
As the only other big man getting consistent minutes in the rotation out of the gate, Wood is going to be playing a prominent role. Improvement defensively will lead to more minutes as Ham can play him alongside Davis, as he did for stretches against the Suns. His 3-point shooting makes him an ideal fit alongside James as well, as he can space the floor with the best of the big men in the NBA.
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