Category Archives: Lakers

Lakers Take Down Memphis

April 2, 2017

The Lakers took advantage of a short-handed Grizzlies team on Sunday at Staples Center, defeating Memphis 108-103.

D’Angelo Russell scored 28 points, and Larry Nance Jr, Julius Randle, and Thomas Robinson all put up double-doubles, as the Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak.

“Our guys are tired of losing,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “They’ve been playing hard. We’ve obviously been short-handed recently. We needed them on the glass tonight. Memphis is a slow-it-down, grind-it-out type of team. If you lose the rebound battle you make it really tough on yourself. The fact that all three of those guys were that active on the glass and coming in, attacking from the weak side on the defense and all that stuff, really helped us out.”

The Grizzlies played without Marc Gasol and Vince Carter.  The Lakers took advantage but lost some ground in the lottery standings.  Phoenix lost against Houston, so LA now has the 3rd worst record in the NBA.  If the Lakers 1st round pick this year lands outside of the top 3, then that pick goes to Philadelphia, as part of the Steve Nash trade.

The Lakers were clinging to a 1 point lead at halftime, and trailed by 1 heading into the 4th quarter, despite allowing the Grizzlies to shoot 60% in the 3rd quarter.

The game was tied at 90-90 with 5:44 left, and then again at 97-97, but the Lakers came through in the 4th quarter.  Randle iced the game with two free throws in the final five seconds.

The Lakers will now travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs on Wednesday.

Clippers Win Another Season Series Over Lakers


April 1, 2017

The Clippers continued their dominance of the Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center, defeating the Lakers 115-104.

Blake Griffin scored 36 points, Chris Paul poured in 29, while Doc Rivers earned the 800th victory of his career.

J.J. Redick contributed 19 points for the Clips as well, who are now 1 game behind the Jazz for 4th place in the Western Conference.

Since 2012-2013, the Clippers have won 18 of the last 20 meetings between the Staples Center co-tenants. It’s also the 5th straight year that the Clippers have won the season series with the Lakers.

David Nwaba led the Lakers with 19 points off the bench, while Brandon Ingram scored 10 of his 18 points in the 4th quarter. Thomas Robinson added 16.

The Clips started quickly in this one, jumping out to a 17-0 lead before the Lakers would answer.   A Robinson basket broke a string of 11 consecutive misses for the Lakers.  Robinson held his own against Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, and his early efforts actually brought the Lakers to within 28-22 after the 1st quarter.

The Lakers took a brief lead in the 2nd quarter, but the Clippers would take control again by halftime, leading 55-50.   Paul had scored 11 points and dished out 7 assists at that point.

The 3rd quarter however, saw the Clippers up by as many as 22 points, and after being outscored 38-22 in the period, the Lakers trailed 93-72 entering the 4th quarter.

The Lakers got within 8 points in the 4th quarter behind a strong effort from Ingram. Much of that was the result of the Clippers bench giving up that lead, which has been a common occurrence this season. However, Paul and Griffin scored the Clippers last seven points to secure the victory.

It was a rough game for D’Angelo Russell, who had just 2 points on 1-9 shooting. Jordan Clarkson didn’t fare much better with 7 points on 3-12 shooting.

The Lakers have lost 18 of their last 20 games, and will now take on the Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center. Meanwhile, the Clippers are off until Wednesday, when they host the Mavs at Staples.

Lakers Can’t Hang With Wolves

March 30, 2017

Ricky Rubio scored a career-high 33 points to go along with 10 assists and 5 rebounds, as the Timberwolves pulled away from the Lakers in the 2nd half and won 119-104, on Thursday night at the Target Center.

The Wolves also got 32 points from Karl-Anthony Towns, and 27 points from Andrew Wiggins.  The win was the 30th of the season for Minnesota, which is one more than they had all of last season.

As for the Lakers, Jordan Clarkson led the way with 18 points, while D’Angelo Russell scored 14 and dished out 6 assists.  However, Brandon Ingram sat out his 3rd consecutive game with patellar tendinitis in his right knee, and the Lakers lost for the 17th time in the last 19 games.

Neither team played a whole lot of defense in this one, with each side putting up 37 points in the 1st quarter.  The Lakers had a 4 point lead at one point in the 2nd quarter, but the Wolves had a 67-60 lead at the half.

The Wolves had a big 3rd quarter, and took a 14 point lead into the 4th quarter.  The Lakers tried to rally, and got within 9 points with 4 minutes left.  However, Rubio would convert a drive to the basket, and then make a 21-foot jump shot to regain the momentum for Minnesota.

Rubio made 4 out of 5 three-pointers on the night.  “He’s someone that you normally are living with him shooting 3s,” coach Luke Walton said. “But our defense, we weren’t communicating.”

The Lakers also got bad news when center Ivica Zubac sprained his right ankle two minutes into the game.  He left the arena in a walking boot, and will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Los Angeles.

Up next for the Lakers, they’ll return home to play the Clippers on Saturday at Staples.  It will be a designated home game for the Clippers.

 

 

 

Wizards Rally Past Lakers

March 28, 2017

John Wall scored 34 points while dishing out 14 assists, as the Wizards had a huge 4th quarter rally to defeat the Lakers 119-108 at Staples Center on Tuesday.

The Lakers led by as many as 16 in the 3rd quarter, and 13 heading into the 4th quarter.  However, Washington outscored LA 37-13 in the 4th.

“We just missed some early shots and turned it over and it snowballed from there,” Laker coach Luke Walton said.

D’Angelo Russell scored 28 points for the Lakers, and Jordan Clarkson added 22.  “He was great tonight,” Walton said of Russell. “He was brilliant. Some of the passing he had.”

The Lakers fell behind early in this one.  They trailed by 12 halfway through the 1st quarter, but an 8-0 run capped by a David Nwaba layup tied the game after the 1st quarter.  By halftime, the Lakers had built a 3 point lead.

A 14-3 run starting with 9:23 left in the third quarter gave the Lakers their first double-digit lead of the game.

“It was beautiful,” Walton said of the Lakers’ third quarter.  “The way the ball was moving. They were just reading off each other. Guys were ready to make quick passes. Guys were flashing. . . . Unfortunately the fourth quarter started with us missing some open looks that we had been hitting and then we had some turnovers. . . . They cut into that lead without even really having to get hot.”

The Lakers didn’t score for the first 2:05 of the 4th quarter.  Washington scored nine straight points to cut into the LA lead.  Late in the 4th, Wall stole the ball from Russell, then dunked it at the other end of the floor to tie the game at 101-101.  That changed the momentum that the Lakers couldn’t recover from.

The Suns lost on Tuesday night as well.  That means the Lakers remained .5 games behind Phoenix in the Standings.

Lakers Legal Battle Over

March 27, 2017

The Laker ownership controversy has ended peacefully.  Jeanie Buss has removed her brother Jim Buss as a trustee and replaced him with her younger sister Janie Buss, according to documents entered into Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday morning.

The three siblings have agreed for Jeanie to serve as controlling owner and on the team’s board of directors as long as the family owns the Lakers.  Johnny Buss will remain on the board of directors.

“It’s great that we were able to work this out so fast. We’ve resolved everything clearly and cleanly and now we can get back to work,” Jeanie Buss told ESPN.

According to sources close to the situation, neither brother was given any additional financial settlement beyond what’d they’d be entitled to through yearly salaries and disbursements from the trust.

“Jeanie is captain of the ship,” Janie Buss told ESPN. “My sister is the one who finally played her aces. I’m just behind her. I’ve always been behind her. Now she can focus on where the Lakers need to go.

The agreement means the probate court trial scheduled for May 15 to resolve the matter won’t happen.

Janie is excited for what’s ahead.  “This is a new beginning for us as a team. Now we don’t need to worry about this family stuff. We can focus on the Lakers now.”

Lakers Can’t Stop The Blazers

March 26, 2017

The Blazers pulled away from the Lakers in the 3rd quarter on Sunday night at Staples Center, defeating LA 97-81.

Damian Lillard scored 22 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists, while Noah Vonleh grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.  The Blazers outscored the Lakers 37-24 in the 3rd quarter.

The Lakers trailed by 8 points in the 3rd quarter when the Blazers blew open the game with a barrage of 3-pointers.  Portland went on a 16-3 run, which included four 3-pointers.  That gave them a 21-point lead.

“When you’re committed to defense, you always give yourself a chance to win games,” Lakers Coach Luke Walton said. “Unfortunately that didn’t carry over into the third quarter. . . . Every time we messed up a coverage, or we misread a situation, Portland, they got a lot of weapons on that team offensively. They made us pay for it.”

D’Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 22 points and had two assists. Reserve point guard Tyler Ennis added 14 points. LA played without rookie Brandon Ingram, who sat out with patellar tendinitis in his right knee that had been bothering him since Thursday’s practice.

Allen Crabbe scored 18 points off the bench for the Blazers, who tied the Denver Nuggets for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Lakers, who won their previous game against the Timberwolves, have won consecutive games only once since mid-November.

The Lakers shot only 39% from the field.  “We just didn’t make the shots,” Lakers center Ivica Zubac said. “We had some good looks. We executed good. But we just couldn’t make the shots.”

Up next for LA, they’ll face the Wizards on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Lakers Snap Skid

March 24th, 2017

The Lakers snapped a 6-game losing skid on Friday night at Staples, beating the Timberwolves in overtime 130-119.

Jordan Clarkson scored a career-high 35 points, while making eight 3-pointers.  Clarkson rebounded from a poor shooting night against the Clippers, a few days earlier.  Julius Randle added 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who won for only the 2nd time since the All-Star break.

Andrew Wiggins scored 36 points for Minnesota, but fouled out with 1:17 left in overtime.  Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 13 rebounds, as the Timberwolves lost their 5th in a row.

The Lakers went on a 9-1 run with 2:30 left in the game, which erased an 8-point Timberwolves lead.  Randle’s bank shot finished the run, but Wiggins made one of two free throws to send the game to overtime.

Clarkson took over from there, scoring 7 of 8 straight Laker points.  That gave the Lakers a 117-109 lead.  Minnesota would never recover, despite Ricky Rubio’s best efforts.  He finished with 19 points and 15 assists for the Wolves.

Lakers’ forward Larry Nance Jr. knew the night belonged to Clarkson.  “We needed every point of his 35,” Nance said. “It was one of those games where everything he was throwing up went in.”

Before the game, the Lakers unveiled a statue of Shaquille O’Neal in Star Plaza.  O’Neal sat courtside with mother Lucille O’Neal and they shared a kiss. O’Neal addressed the fans at halftime as well.

“There was a better energy in the building because of Shaq,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “We didn’t get to channel that until the second half when the second unit came in and began defending. It definitely brings a little extra.”

The win along with the Suns loss, means the Lakers are only 1 game worse than Phoenix in the battle for better lottery odds.  The Lakers only keep their 1st round pick this year if lands in the top 3, and they currently have the 2nd worst record in the league.   LA returns to action on Sunday against Portland at Staples Center.

Clippers Maul The Lakers

March 21st, 2017

The Lakers were the designated home team in their showdown with the Clippers on Tuesday, but it wasn’t much of a contest, with the Clips winning 133-109.

Chris Paul led the way for the Clippers with 27 points and 8 assists, J.J. Redick had 24, and Austin Rivers scored 18 off the bench in a game that was virtually decided by halftime.  The Clips were up 70-40 at the half.

Although the Lakers didn’t play much defense, they did get some productive performances from their young players.  Brandon Ingram scored 21 points and D’Angelo Russell had 18.  Ivica Zubac had 17 and 7 rebounds, while Julius Randle added 19.

The Clippers shot 53% from the field and outscored the Lakers in the paint 60-36.  They got whatever shot they wanted, and the Lakers couldn’t do anything about it.  The Clippers also hit 3-pointers.

One of those 3-pointers was a 46-foot bomb from Jamal Crawford to end the 3rd quarter.  That gave the Clippers a 108-74 lead heading into the 4th.  Crawford finished the game with 15 points, and passed Calvin Murphy for #69 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list

Laker coach Luke Walton wasn’t please about his team’s effort at times, and benched his starters to open the 2nd half.  “Playing without a certain amount of effort isn’t going to be acceptable or tolerated,” he said.  “A lot of guys it’s more about the individual success rather than the team success.”

For the 2nd straight game, the Clippers starters sat out the entire 4th quarter.  The game was so out of hand that Chris Paul was watching the 4th quarter with his son on the bench.

“Until the team more than individual, it’s going to be really hard to win,” Walton explained.  “I would say we played harder in the second half but not as hard as we should play.  To come out in front of our home fans and give that kind of effort wasn’t ok.”

The Clippers have now defeated the Lakers in 17 of their last 19 meetings. The win moved them a little bit closer to Utah, who is now just .5 games ahead of them for 4th place in the West.

The Lakers on the other hand picked up their 51st loss of the year.  With Phoenix’s loss to Miami, the Lakers remain two games worse than the Suns for the 2nd worst record in the league, and the race for better lottery odds.

Russell Goes Off But Lakers Lose To Cavs

March 19, 2017

D’Angelo Russell scored a career-high 40 points, but he was out done by Kyrie Irving’s 46 points, as the Cavaliers beat the Lakers 125-120.

The Cavaliers rested Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love on Saturday against the Clippers.  It turns out they needed all that rest to beat the Lakers on Sunday.

Irving led all scorers with 46 points. LeBron James had 34 with seven assists and six rebounds, and Kevin Love scored 21 points for Cleveland.

The Lakers actually led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter before Cleveland came back.  After a Lebron James layup with just over five minutes left, the score was tied at 104-104.  The Cavs took control from there.

Jordan Clarkson added 19 points for the Lakers, and rookie Brandon Ingram had 18. All five Lakers starters scored in double figures for the first time since Christmas.

Russell also had six assists, two steals and only one turnover. He became the youngest player since James did it in 2004 to score 40 points, with six assists and one or no turnovers.  He also got some praise from his competition when it was over.

“He’s a special guy,” Lebron James said. “He’s a special player. Russell was extremely hot tonight, and those guys fed off him.”

“He’s a great young player,” Irving said. “… I understand what he means to the Lakers. It’s always good to have some great competition out there.”

The Lakers have been experimenting with different lineups the last week to better evaluate their young talent.  Russell had been coming off the bench for a few games before returning to the starting lineup on Sunday.  There’s also been some talk about whether or not he’s really a shooting guard or a point guard.

“I’m a basketball player,” he said, “not a point guard or a shooting guard.”  Russell looked like a very promising one on Sunday.

The Lakers return to action on Tuesday night against the Clippers.  It will be a designated home game for the Clippers.

Lakers Put Up A Fight But Lose To Bucks

March 17th, 2017

The Lakers and Bucks engaged in a typical NBA style fight which led to a series of ejections in Milwaukee’s 107-103 victory over LA at Staples Center on Friday.

Khris Middleton scored 14 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter, to help get the Bucks their 8th win in the   last 9 games.  However, the story of the game was ejections.

Malcolm Brogdon fouled Nick Young hard with 36 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, which prompted Young to shove him back.  Greg Monroe shoved young, and then D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram came to Young’s defense, shoving back, and so did a Bucks security guard.

Monroe, Russell, and Young were ejected from the game.  However, Luke Walton was pleased that the Lakers were standing up for one another.  “D’Angelo only responded after Monroe had grabbed Nick by the neck and thrown him,” Walton said. “So if D’Angelo didn’t push him, I would have been (mad) at D’Angelo. He did the right thing. So for the NBA to say that the two of them did the same thing and just canceled each other out is absolute crap to me.”

Young scored 16 points and Russell had 14 before their ejections, but the Bucks appeared to be cruising to an easy win before the prolonged scuffle. They had opened up an 18-point lead while Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 12 points in the first 6:15 of the third.  “The Greek Freak” finished with 26 points before fouling out.

The Lakers were led by Jordan Clarkson’s 21 points.  They maintained their 2 game “advantage” over Phoenix for the 2nd worst record in the league.

Milwaukee leads eighth-place Miami (34-35) by a half-game, and the Bucks opened up a 1 1/2-game lead over the ninth-place Detroit Pistons (33-36), who lost to Toronto.

The Lakers return to action on Sunday against the Cavs at Staples Center.