An angry head coach is all the Los Angeles Lakers needed to get the wheels in motion. According to Lance Stephenson, Luke Walton unloaded on his player personnel during a team meeting, hours before shootaround.
"We could feel his anger," Lance Stephenson told ESPN's Dave McMenamin after crossing paths with the reporter in the wind tunnel leading to their hotel lodging. "We had to get that W."
The win marks LeBron first triumph as a Lakers' Monarch. The former MVP coasted to a fairly well-rounded performance which included 19 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds in 28 minutes. The victory over the Suns was also our first look at undrafted rookie Johnathan Williams, going the distance with 20 minutes of playing time, to go along with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist.
"We talked a lot on defense," said Stephenson in his (2nd on the day) debriefing with ESPN. "We watched a lot of film yesterday and today, and Coach was very mad at us, and he got on us about our defense and talking on D on the defensive end, and being very unselfish. So, I mean, we took care of business tonight."
The Lakers, now 1-3, face their Western Conference rivals the Denver Nuggets tonight at the Staples Center.