PALM DESERT, Calif. — The inaugural season of the Coachella Valley Lakers started off with a 104-98 win over the Salt Lake City Stars.
The Lakers fed off their new hometown crowd, with 5,241 packing Acrisure Arena. The crowd erupted in the fourth quarter after a Chris Manon steal and a Cole Swider bucket.
The score was tied 91-91 with 2:56 left in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers outscored Salt Lake City 13-7 to close the game.
Coachella Valley really turned it on defensively after trailing 26-23 at the end of the first quarter. In total, they forced 20 turnovers and turned them into 28 points. Manon and Anton Watson combined for seven steals, propelling the Lakers' defense.
"He's just a guy that just does things. I don't know how else to say this. He impacts the game, he wreaks havoc. In my personal opinion, he's the best defender in the G League," said Coachella Valley Lakers head coach Alex Cerda when asked about Manon. "He does exactly what you want as a defender from the point of attack."
For Manon, who is one of the three two-way contracts on the Lakers, his key to development is his offense. This is something that is improving in Cerda's eyes.
"I think his offensive game has really turned the corner. He's not limited. He can get downhill, he can make the decisions, make decisions on the perimeter. His shot has improved over the last two years," Cerda said.
Swider led all scorers with 23 points and seven rebounds. He came off the bench in the middle of the first quarter and scored eight points. Both Swider and Cerda spoke about how it's the little things that will get him back to the NBA.
"His level of gravity that he has while on the floor, even though he's not making shots, guys are still respecting him. That opened up driving lanes. But defensively it's about him taking the challenge of guarding. Being at the right spots," Cerda said.
Lakers first-round draft pick Cameron Carr gave Lakers fans a first look at an extended playing run. Carr was limited in Lakers training camp due to injury. Tonight, Carr had 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting. His 3-point shot didn't find a rhythm, as he went 0-for-4. However, we saw why the Lakers have high hopes for Carr. His long reach really disrupted the Salt Lake City offense. Carr's jumper also looked smooth as he found his rhythm from the midrange in the third and fourth quarters. He did not play in the final minutes of the game.
Bronny James was also on assignment from the Lakers. James tallied the second-most points on the night with 22. But it was the other stats that made it a complete performance. James netted a game-high seven assists and added five rebounds.
In the fourth quarter, James had some key rebounds that led to Lakers baskets.
"They were stepping up a little more than what they were supposed to, so I was trying to find my teammates," James said after the CV Lakers win.
Salt Lake City drops to 0-1 on the season. Its leading scorer was Trey Alexander with 20 points. Harrison Ingram (14 points and 14 rebounds) and Jonas Aidoo (10 points and 12 rebounds) finished with double-doubles.
Coachella Valley continues its homestand Monday and Tuesday as it hosts the San Diego Clippers for a back-to-back. Both games will be at 7 p.m. at Acrisure Arena.
