Matt Ryan's clutch 3 sends Lakers to OT on way to 2nd straight win

play

If the Los Angeles Lakers blew a 16-point lead and lost to the New Orleans Pelicans, they would have felt worse off.

According to the doctor, Matt Ryan was what he ordered.

L.A. won its second game in a row after Ryan hit a corner 3-pointer at the end of regulation.

James said he got out of bed for the first time since Sunday. There's something happening, and it hit me. I missed the Halloween party with all of my friends.

The Lakers have dressed up as a winning team in their past two games after starting the season 0-5.

The clouds have ever so slightly parted for a team that has already had more than it's fair share of injuries and roster scrutiny.

Ryan was 2-for-8 from 3 the day before he hit the big one. I wouldn't be here if that wasn't true.

Ryan was a DoorDash delivery driver before he played for the Boston Celtics. He earned a partially guaranteed contract with the Lakers because of his outside shooting in the preseason.

"I felt in my gut that Matt was going to be used as a decoy by someone else, even though he was a threat to shoot it." The play was meant for him. Austin threw a very high ball.

If the Lakers hadn't missed five straight shots in the last minute and a half of the fourth quarter, they wouldn't have been in that situation. For a bit of luck as well. Daniels missed two free throws that would have iced the game. Ryan's shot would have been meaningless if he had made one out of two.

Willie Green said that the Lakers did what they needed to do in order to win the game.

Time will tell if the mini win streak is a sign of bigger things to come for the Lakers or if it's just a respite from the nightly battles in the Western Conference. The Utah Jazz are 6-3 despite trading away both of their All-stars in the off-season.

Many results could be decided by something as small as a Daniels free throw or a Ryan 3.

The key to the Lakers building on their current momentum is to keep this feeling. I was trying to remember how winning feels. We would like to keep doing it.

It is beginning to find things. We were really good when we were in rotation. Guys are coming in ready to play. We are putting everything together.