Finishing a grueling stretch of five games in seven days, the Lakers were “a little bit exhausted,” Hachimura acknowledged. Redick had a secret weapon to perk them up.
The Lakers rolled out a zone defense to begin the second quarter. The sheer size of a lineup with the 7-foot Ayton, 6-8 Jarred Vanderbilt, 6-9 James and 6-10 Drew Timme with 6-3 Marcus Smart at point guard was jarring to see in person, Redick acknowledged. But the zone defense was critical to helping slow the pace for a team trying to survive its fifth game in seven days.
Lakers forward Drew Timme shoots under pressure from Toronto Raptors forward Jamison Battle at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
The Lakers started the second quarter on a 9-0 run that quickly erased the Raptors’ seven-point lead.
Timme earned a place in the rotation for the second consecutive night after he scored a career-high 21 points against Portland on Saturday. He hit one three-pointer Sunday and had three rebounds with two assists.
The former Gonzaga star signed a two-way contract Nov. 25 after starring with the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers. He averaged a team-high 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and four assists in the first six G League games and has been able to translate that work to the NBA level, even if his opportunities are limited.
“[South Bay Lakers have] challenged me to add that to my game and be more of a playmaker on the perimeter and decision-maker on the perimeter,” said Timme, who has played 63 minutes in eight games. “And I’ve been down there for a decent amount, and then they hold me accountable and they push me and then they keep me sharp for moments when I am called upon. And you just gotta be ready whenever your number’s called.”
