Thanks to 36-year-old Tyson Chandler’s outstretched index finger, the Lakers are above .500 for the first time since Nov. 22, 2016.
Chandler, who played in only his third game with the purple and gold after getting bought out of his contract with the Phoenix Suns, blocked Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young’s potential game-winning basket in the closing seconds of regulation to secure the Lakers’ third straight win, and fifth in six games.
The block, which was immensely close to being called goaltending and only a fraction of an inch away from getting over Chandler’s reach, magnifies the sense that tides have begun to change for the Lakers.