Smart Confident Lakers Can Bounce Back After Game 1 Loss

The Lakers' offense struggled in Tuesday's defeat, managing only 19 points in the third quarter and 18 in the fourth quarter. LeBron James led with 27 points while Rui Hachimura added 18, but the team shot just 41.2% overall and 33% from 3-point range.

Smart, who contributed 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting, emphasized the team's defensive performance kept them in the game. 'We started off great. We were doing very well, we were in the game,' he said. With potential absences of Vanderbilt and Kennard for Game 2, Smart acknowledged he may need to increase his offensive role while maintaining confidence in the team's game plan. fish-roadgame.com