The 2020-21 Los Angeles Lakers season was marked by a mix of high expectations and significant challenges. Coming off a championship win in the Orlando bubble, the Lakers aimed to defend their title. The team, led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, faced a condensed schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested their endurance and depth.
In the regular season, the Lakers finished with a 42-30 record, securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Injuries plagued the team, particularly to James and Davis, resulting in a struggle to maintain consistency. LeBron missed 27 games due to an ankle injury, while Davis was sidelined for 36 games with Achilles and calf issues. Despite these setbacks, the Lakers displayed resilience, aided by the addition of key players like Dennis Schröder and Montrezl Harrell.
In the postseason, the Lakers faced the second-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round. Despite taking a 2-1 series lead, the Lakers faltered after Davis suffered a groin injury in Game 4. The Suns capitalized on this opportunity, winning the series 4-2, and eliminating the Lakers from the playoffs. This marked the first time in LeBron’s career that he was eliminated in the first round.
The 2020-21 season was a challenging one for the Lakers, emphasizing the impact of health and depth on a team’s success. It highlighted the importance of managing player workloads and the harsh reality of defending an NBA title in a demanding and unpredictable season.
- Regular Season Record: 42-30
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 2-4
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 2020-21 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| LeBron James | 45 | 25.0 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 36.5 | 6 | 23.3 | 7.2 | 8.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 37.5 |
| Anthony Davis | 36 | 21.8 | 7.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 26.0 | 5 | 17.4 | 6.6 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 18.2 |
| Dennis Schröder | 61 | 15.4 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 33.5 | 6 | 14.3 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 30.8 |
| Montrezl Harrell | 69 | 13.5 | 6.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 4 | 5.8 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kyle Kuzma | 68 | 12.9 | 6.1 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 36.1 | 6 | 6.3 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 17.4 |
| Andre Drummond | 21 | 11.9 | 10.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 9.0 | 11.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 67 | 9.7 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 41.0 | 5 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 21.1 |
| Talen Horton-Tucker | 65 | 9.0 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 28.2 | 4 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 20.0 |
| Ben McLemore | 21 | 8.0 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 36.8 | 4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
| Markieff Morris | 61 | 6.7 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 31.1 | 4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 25.0 |
| Alex Caruso | 58 | 6.4 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 40.1 | 6 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 29.4 |
| Damian Jones | 8 | 5.4 | 3.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Marc Gasol | 52 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 41.0 | 5 | 5.2 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 63.6 |
| Wesley Matthews | 58 | 4.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 33.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 28.0 |
| Alfonzo McKinnie | 39 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 41.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Quinn Cook | 16 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 38.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Devontae Cacok | 20 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Kostas Antetokounmpo | 15 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jared Dudley | 12 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 33.3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021 NBA Playoffs
2021 NBA Play-In Tournament
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2021 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 103-100 |
Playoffs First Round vs. Phoenix Suns
In the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Phoenix Suns in the first round. Despite a strong start with a 2-1 series lead, the defending champions struggled as injuries to key players like Anthony Davis hindered their performance. Ultimately, the Lakers were eliminated in six games, marking the first time in LeBron James' career that he exited the playoffs in the first round.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2021 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 99-90 | |
| May 25, 2021 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 109-102 | |
| May 27, 2021 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 109-95 | |
| May 30, 2021 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 100-92 | |
| Jun 01, 2021 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 115-85 | |
| Jun 03, 2021 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 113-100 |
Los Angeles Lakers 2020-21 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2020-21 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2020 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | L 116-109 | |
| Dec 25, 2020 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 138-115 | |
| Dec 27, 2020 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 127-91 | |
| Dec 28, 2020 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-107 | |
| Dec 30, 2020 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 121-107 | |
| Jan 01, 2021 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 109-103 | |
| Jan 03, 2021 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 108-94 | |
| Jan 05, 2021 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 94-92 | |
| Jan 07, 2021 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 118-109 | |
| Jan 08, 2021 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 117-115 | |
| Jan 10, 2021 | @ Houston Rockets | W 120-102 | |
| Jan 12, 2021 | @ Houston Rockets | W 117-100 | |
| Jan 13, 2021 | @ Oklahoma City Thunder | W 128-99 | |
| Jan 15, 2021 | vs. New Orleans Pelicans | W 112-95 | |
| Jan 18, 2021 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 115-113 | |
| Jan 21, 2021 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 113-106 | |
| Jan 23, 2021 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 101-90 | |
| Jan 25, 2021 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 115-108 | |
| Jan 27, 2021 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 107-106 | |
| Jan 28, 2021 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 107-92 | |
| Jan 30, 2021 | @ Boston Celtics | W 96-95 | |
| Feb 01, 2021 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 107-99 | |
| Feb 04, 2021 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 114-93 | |
| Feb 06, 2021 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 135-129 | |
| Feb 08, 2021 | vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | W 119-112 | |
| Feb 10, 2021 | vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | W 114-113 | |
| Feb 12, 2021 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 115-105 | |
| Feb 14, 2021 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 122-105 | |
| Feb 16, 2021 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 112-104 | |
| Feb 18, 2021 | vs. Brooklyn Nets | L 109-98 | |
| Feb 20, 2021 | vs. Miami Heat | L 96-94 | |
| Feb 22, 2021 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 127-124 | |
| Feb 24, 2021 | @ Utah Jazz | L 114-89 | |
| Feb 26, 2021 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 102-93 | |
| Feb 28, 2021 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 117-91 | |
| Mar 02, 2021 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 114-104 | |
| Mar 03, 2021 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 123-120 | |
| Mar 12, 2021 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 105-100 | |
| Mar 15, 2021 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 128-97 | |
| Mar 16, 2021 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 137-121 | |
| Mar 18, 2021 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | W 116-105 | |
| Mar 20, 2021 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 99-94 | |
| Mar 21, 2021 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 111-94 | |
| Mar 23, 2021 | @ New Orleans Pelicans | L 128-111 | |
| Mar 25, 2021 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 109-101 | |
| Mar 26, 2021 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 100-86 | |
| Mar 28, 2021 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 96-93 | |
| Mar 31, 2021 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 112-97 | |
| Apr 02, 2021 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 115-94 | |
| Apr 04, 2021 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 104-86 | |
| Apr 06, 2021 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 110-101 | |
| Apr 08, 2021 | @ Miami Heat | L 110-104 | |
| Apr 10, 2021 | @ Brooklyn Nets | W 126-101 | |
| Apr 12, 2021 | @ New York Knicks | L 111-96 | |
| Apr 13, 2021 | @ Charlotte Hornets | W 101-93 | |
| Apr 15, 2021 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 121-113 | |
| Apr 17, 2021 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 127-115 | |
| Apr 19, 2021 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 111-97 | |
| Apr 22, 2021 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 115-110 | |
| Apr 24, 2021 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 108-93 | |
| Apr 26, 2021 | @ Orlando Magic | W 114-103 | |
| Apr 28, 2021 | @ Washington Wizards | L 116-107 | |
| Apr 30, 2021 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 110-106 | |
| May 02, 2021 | vs. Toronto Raptors | L 121-114 | |
| May 03, 2021 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 93-89 | |
| May 06, 2021 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 118-94 | |
| May 07, 2021 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 106-101 | |
| May 09, 2021 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 123-110 | |
| May 11, 2021 | vs. New York Knicks | W 101-99 | |
| May 12, 2021 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 124-122 | |
| May 15, 2021 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 122-115 | |
| May 16, 2021 | @ New Orleans Pelicans | W 110-98 |