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LeBron James happy to team up with Carmelo Anthony following Lakers win over Timberwolves

Following a 108-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers (19-19) are back to .500 on the season. This is not only the Lakers’ first win in 2022 but also the first time the team has beaten Minnesota this season after previously losing their first two games.

Los Angeles was able to come out on top despite the Timberwolves outrebounding them on the offensive glass, 10-4 and 56-28 in total rebounds. The noteworthy aspect of that statistic is that the Lakers are unbeaten when they surrender 18 or more offensive rebounds in a game.

It was LeBron James’ first under-30 point performance in eight games, with the last time being against the same Minnesota team when he only scored 18. In 39 minutes, LeBron scored 26 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out five assists, stole three balls, and blocked one shot.

Russell Westbrook’s four-game streak with a triple-double came to an end in this game. Westbrook had 20 points, five assists, three rebounds, a block, and a steal in the game.

Along with LeBron and Russ, Malik Monk scored 22 points, and Bradley ended his night with 14 points, four rebounds, four steals, and an assist in 28 minutes as a starter. Last but not least, Carmelo Anthony finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting (3-of-7 from distance) in his 29 minutes of playing time.

**LeBron praises Carmelo Anthony**

Carmelo Anthony’s importance to the team’s performance was acknowledged by LeBron James during his post-game press conference. He only had good things to say about his close friend, and he felt privileged to be playing alongside Carmelo Anthony at this point in their careers.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to be around everyday. Never gets too high, never gets too low or he’s never going to show you that even if he does. He just knows what he means to this ball club. He knows what he means to this game at this point in his career. He’s accepted who he is and is still great at it. I’m happy to say that I finally got an opportunity to team up with him for the full season.”

Any time LeBron talks about Carmelo, one knows it’s from the heart. The two have shared many memories over the course of their lives, from the draft class to “the call” before joining the Lakers.

Carmelo Anthony so far

Despite having the ability to be a productive player, Carmelo Anthony has had a tough time in the late stages of his career. Melo spent almost 10 months in 2019 without a team after being waived by the Chicago Bulls before he was signed by the Blazers and then to the Lakers.

In the beginning, Carmelo struggled to accept the diminished role he played on teams, but by the time he signed with Portland, he was comfortable playing off the bench and scoring when needed. This season, Melo has averaged 27 minutes a game, scoring 13.4 points and grabbing 4.1 rebounds.

Melo’s chemistry with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook was a question mark before he signed with the Lakers, but he has settled in well with his teammates, with no beef showing up between any of them.

Anthony has been able to contribute tangibly in spite of not being the star of the show.