LOS ANGELES — It took nearly two quarters for Lakers fans to shake off nearly a decade’s worth of rust.
But a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope steal-turned-layup got the faithful on their feet with a minute left before halftime. As the Lakers back-pedaled into their stances, the crowd issued its most enthusiastic and echoing “de-fense” chant of the night.
Eight years later, and the Lakers were back in the postseason in front of a home crowd.
Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night – a 109-95 victory – was the Lakers’ first playoff game at Staples Center since April 28, 2013. Back then, a Kobe Bryant-led team was swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
The Lakers’ 2020 championship run – the franchise’s 17th, which followed a six-year postseason drought – took place entirely in the sanctuary of the NBA’s Orlando bubble. Only family members were allowed to be in attendance, and while that created some unique situations, particularly during the Lakers’ second-round series against the Houston Rockets, it wasn’t the same as a non-pandemic year. It also left their legions of fans confined to watching the franchise’s return to the top on television.
“It was something that was somewhat of a void in the experience last year, being able to have these moments in front of a roaring crowd at Staples Center,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said prior to Game 3. “I’m looking forward to getting this to where a lot of the arenas in the NBA are … packed houses.”
Despite the limited capacity, most of the announced crowd of 7,825 was seated in time for the booming national anthem from Staples Center regular Davis Haines. A “Let’s go Lakers” chant broke out as the teams headed to their respective benches, then a roar as the lights went dim for the home team’s introductions.
A “de-fense” chant in rhythm with the Staples Center organ was interrupted during the opening possession of the first-round game by a foul call on Lakers All-Star Anthony Davis. The indignant groans of the fans turned to outrage when, after a Vogel challenge, the call was upheld.
When Suns guard Jae Crowder stepped to the line for his free throws, he was greeted with an expletive-laden chant that became a refrain each time Crowder was involved in a play the rest of the night. Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter egged on the crowd whenever Crowder was called for a foul, putting a special emphasis on the Sun guard’s name.
As the game progressed, the crowd settled in. Fans rose in anticipation each time a Laker pulled up for a 3-pointer and roared in appreciation when reserve Kyle Kuzma drove the baseline and found Davis for an alley-oop dunk.
“Staples Center was exactly what it needed to be. It was good for us, good for our team,” Davis said of the cheers. “We just can only imagine how it will be when it’s 20,000 in here. It was still loud, still electric. When we’re able to get the whole stadium in here, the whole fans screaming and yelling, I know it’s going to be even better.”
And when LeBron James drove to the rim in the third quarter to give the Lakers a 13-point lead, the crowd roared its appreciation, though the energy waned during the subsequent Phoenix timeout.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” James said. “It’s always special to play in front of the Laker faithful. It was a special night, and we just tried to reward our fans for the loyalty they have for us, and just try to play the game the right way.”Vogel said it was clear the energy in the arena motivated James and the entire roster.
“He’s a showman, he’s a performer,” Vogel said. “Our fans tonight were super loud … to be able to deliver a victory in front of those guys is a great source of pride.”
It wasn’t a classic, sold-out atmosphere. But the further the Lakers can advance, the more likely that becomes a reality this postseason.
“It’s somewhat of a disadvantage to not have that in our home games,” Vogel said. “But hopefully as time goes by, having these playoffs, we get more and more fans and reach that full capacity.”
“It’s always special to play in front of the Laker faithful.”@KingJames on the support at Staples Center and the team's effort in Game-3 against the Suns. pic.twitter.com/aBobSSUcKK
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) May 28, 2021
"Staples Center was exactly what it needed to be." @AntDavis23 spoke with @LakersReporter about the atmosphere for tonight's game, the #Lakers run in the third and he provides an update on his knee. pic.twitter.com/kSB2kdzpAS
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) May 28, 2021
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