The New York Knicks ( 26 - 38 ) defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons ( 31 - 31 ) 102 - 89 , Saturday night at Madison Square Garden . The reeling Knicks seemed rejuvenated as they showed a complete game and strong finish against a formidable Detroit squad . The Knicks had three players score 20 or more points in the same game for the first time this season and shot a blistering 53 percent from the field as a team . New York 's offense however was not all that won the game as its defense held the Pistons to only 39 percent shooting from the field and 6 - 26 from downtown . The Knicks improve to 16 - 18 at home this season , where they are fairing well compared to their 10 - 20 road record . Carmelo Anthony was stellar as he led New York in points , rebounds and assists . Melo finished with 24 points ( 11 - 19 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) , 10 rebounds and six assists , in 41 minutes . Robin Lopez tallied 21 points ( 9 - 12 FG , 3 - 3 FT ) , nine rebounds , two assists and a block , in 32 minutes , while Arron Afflalo chipped in another 20 points ( 9 - 12 FG , 1 - 2 3PT , 1 - 2 FT ) , along with seven rebounds and three assists , in 42 minutes . The Knicks were missing Kristaps Porzingis , who sat out with a lower leg contusion . The Pistons have now lost two in a row after winning their previous four games , and with this loss risk losing their grip on the eighth spot in the East . Meanwhile , Andre Drummond was a beast inside , finishing with 21 points and 16 rebounds , in 36 minutes . Tobias Harris and Steve Blake were the only other PIstons to score in double digits . Harris chipped in 18 points , along with eight rebounds , in 36 minutes , while Steve Blake added 13 points , four rebounds and two assists , in 20 minutes off the bench . The Pistons finished the game with only 13 assists , as they failed to conduct any kind of offensive rhythm . Next , Detroit hosts the Trail Blazers on Sunday . The Knicks will have a couple of days off before getting back in action on Tuesday in Denver .


The Sacramento Kings ( 27 - 42 ) picked up a road win Sunday night over the New York Knicks ( 28 - 43 ) at Madison Square Garden , 88 - 80 . The Knicks ' only lead of the game came at 4 - 2 , as the Kings immediately rattled off a 19 - 4 run to open up a 21 - 8 lead . The Knicks managed the close the lead to three points at halftime , and the Kings never led by double - digits in the second half , but the early lead they built up was enough to hold off New York 's anemic offense , which was clearly feeling the loss of Carmelo Anthony , who was out with migraines . DeMarcus Cousins scored a game - high 24 points ( 11 - 23 FG ) and grabbed a game - high 20 rebounds ( five offensive ) to lead the Kings , his second 20 - 20 game of the season ( 2/19 against Denver ) . Rudy Gay added 17 points ( 8 - 21 FG ) and Omri Casspi scored 15 points ( 5 - 9 FG ) off the bench . The Kings shot just 28 percent from three ( 7 - 25 ) and 40 percent from the floor , but they committed just 11 turnovers as they played just clean enough to earn the victory . Robin Lopez 's 23 points led the Knicks , and he matched Cousins 's 20 rebounds in his first 20 - 20 game of the season . Kristaps Porzingis was the only other Knicks starter to get into double digits , as he scored 13 on 6 - 17 shooting . Jerami Grant added 14 off the bench ( 6 - 15 FG ) , and Deron Williams scored 11 in 21 minutes of play ( 4 - 9 FG ) . The Knicks shot a brutal 35 percent from the floor and 4 - 19 ( 21 percent ) from the three - point line in the loss . The Kings continue their road trip Monday in Chicago against the Bulls . The Knicks also play the Bulls in their next game , Wednesday in Chicago .


The New York Knicks ( 30 - 43 ) took down the shorthanded Chicago Bulls ( 36 - 35 ) for the second straight night on Thursday , winning 106 - 94 . Though not mathematically eliminated , the Knicks remain squarely out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture . However , the team has now won two straight after a back - to - back against the ailing Bulls . All-Star Carmelo Anthony led the team with 26 points , also pulling down seven rebounds . Rookie Kristaps Porzingis also had a big night , notching a 19 - point , 10 - rebound double - double . The Latvian big man also swatted three shots en route to the win . The Bulls have been grappling with major injuries for months , and Thursday was no exception . Key players Pau Gasol and Tony Snell both sat , allowing big man Cristiano Felicio to slide into the starting lineup despite his average of just 7 minutes per game on the season . The Bulls recorded a paltry 15 assists on the night , and the Chicago bench combined for just 20 in the contest . Despite these shortcomings , former MVP Derrick Rose did shine with a big 30 - point scoring night . The Bulls now sit 2 games behind the Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoff race . The Knicks will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday , while the Bulls will travel to Orlando to take on the Magic .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 52 - 21 ) defeated the host New York Knicks ( 30 - 44 ) 107 - 93 , Saturday evening at Madison Square Garden . Coming off an embarrassing loss to Brooklyn and despite missing Kyrie Irving ( rest ) , the Cavs came into this game focused and ready to play . Cleveland led the whole way , after building a substantial 56 - 32 lead by halftime . The Knicks came into the second half a lot stronger , out - scoring the Cavs 61 - 51 , but it was still not enough to get within striking distance , as Cleveland would not relent . LeBron James notched a triple - double as he took over most of the ball handling duties , due to the absence of Kyrie . James totaled 27 points , 11 rebounds , 10 assists , two blocked shots and one steal , in 36 minutes of action . Kevin Love also stepped up , finishing with 28 points , 12 rebounds and two assists , in 34 minutes . The Cavs did an excellent job rebounding and held New York to only 42 percent shooting , from the field . Carmelo Anthony was up for the challenge , as he led his squad with 28 points , nine rebounds , two steals and one assist , in 39 minutes . Kristaps Porzingis followed up his big game with another strong performance , with 19 points , six rebounds , three assists and one steal , in 40 minutes . Derrick Williams was the only other Knicks player to score in double digits . Williams chipped in 11 points , along with eight rebounds , two assists and one steal , in 24 minutes off the bench . Next , the Knicks will visit New Orleans to face - off against the Pelicans on Monday . The Cavaliers will host the Rockets on Tuesday .


The New York Knicks ( 31 - 46 ) took down the neighboring Brooklyn Nets ( 21 - 55 ) at Madison Square Garden on Friday night , 105 - 91 . Both teams sit firmly out of the playoffs and neither owns its own pick in the 2016 draft , making Friday 's matchup fairly inconsequential for both teams in the grand scheme of things . However , Madison Square Garden saw a hard - fought game with big performances from young players on both sides . For the Knicks , rookie Jerian Grant took the reigns as a starter and rolled with them , scoring 14 points and dishing out four assists while commiting just two turnovers . While lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis sat out with a shoulder injury , the team saw promise in the form of Grant 's command of the floor . Guard Langston Galloway also had a big night off the bench , contributing a team - high 18 points as well as seven assists and six rebounds . For the Nets , meanwhile , young power forward Thomas Robinson exploded for a 14 - point , 13 - rebound double - double . With no Thaddeus Young , the youngster showed promise on both ends , also nabbing five steals on the defensive side of things . Ultimately , however , the Nets shot just a dismal 36 percent from the field and an even more paltry 17 percent from beyond the arc . The team remains fourteenth in the East with almost no chance of upping its standing before the season 's end . Brooklyn will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday , while New York will play host to the Indiana Pacers .


The Indiana Pacers ( 41 - 36 ) defeated the New York Knicks ( 31 - 47 ) 92 - 87 on Sunday . This game meant a whole lot more to the Pacers than the Knicks and they were lucky to escape with a win . The second quarter was the only quarter that Indiana won , but they domianted to the tune of a 36 to 18 scoreline . The key for the Pacers was their defense , as they held the Knicks to 34 percent shooting . The Knicks played this game without Carmelo Anthony and Jose Calderon and had one of their best peformances in weeks . Robin Lopez stepped up big , as he amassed 10 points , 15 rebounds and six blocks . Sasha Vujacic led the team with 21 points in his revived role . Arron Afflalo was leaned on late and scored 15 points on just 5 - for - 15 shooting . On deck for the Knicks is a matchup with the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday . Indiana is now 3 games up in the eight - seed , so this was obviously a crucial win . Paul George was the star for the Pacers , as he tallied 20 points and nine rebounds . Rodney Stuckey gave the team a great spark off the bench , as he scored 17 points . Up next for Indiana is a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 45 - 33 ) took care of the New York Knicks ( 31 - 48 ) in a 111 - 97 win on Wednesday . The talent discrepancy in this game was truly decisive , as the Hornets cruised to an easy win . Despite being outshot and outrebounded , Charlotte huckered down and capitalized on New York 's mistakes . In fact , the Knicks committed 18 turnovers to the Hornets eight . Kemba Walker was back in the building that made him famous and he had another stellar performance . Walker finished the game with 34 points , while hitting a career - high seven three - pointers . Al Jefferson had one of his best games of the season off the bench , as he scored 24 points and grabbed eight boards . Up next is a matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday . The Knicks had six players in double figures , but it was n't enough to escape with a win . Derrick Williams led the team with 17 points and also snatched down 10 boards . Carmelo Anthony accumulated 15 points , six rebounds and seven assists in the loss . On deck is a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 54 - 26 ) defeated the host New York Knicks ( 32 - 49 ) 93 - 89 , earning a franchise - best 23rd road win , Sunday evening at Madison Square Garden . More Raptors history was made as DeMar DeRozan passed Vince Carter to become second on the Raptors ' all - time scoring list . DeRozan finished with a game - high 27 points , on fantastic 12 - 17 shooting . The Knicks put up quite a fight and made it a close game right down to the wire , but DeRozan and the Raptors would not be stopped , as they continue to push their franchise - best win total to new heights . The Raptors shot 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from long range , as they held off the relentless Knicks . Kyle Lowry followed up DeRozan 's 27 points , with 15 of his own , along with seven assists and two steals , in 32 minutes . Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points , seven rebounds , three blocked shots and two assists , in 28 minutes , while Terrence Ross chipped in 13 points , in 21 minutes off the bench . The Raptors did well to only give up seven turnovers in the game . The Knicks had a tough night shooting the ball , hitting 36 percent of their field goal attempts and 35 percent from long range . Carmelo Anthony finished with a team - high 21 points , along with six rebounds and three assists . Jerian Grant added 19 points , along with three rebounds , three steals and one assist , in 38 minutes , while Sasha Vujacic finished with 13 points , eight rebounds , one assist and one blocked shot , in 35 minutes . The Knicks were missing Jose Calderon ( quadriceps ) and Kristaps Porzingis ( shoulder ) . Next , the Knicks will finish up their season with a game in Indiana , on Tuesday . The Raptors host the 76ers on Tuesday , in their last home game of the season .


The Minnesota Timberwolves ( 112 - 111 ) overcame a double - digit deficit on the road Wednesday to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers ( 0 - 1 ) 112 - 111 . Following an ill - advised shot from Kevin Martin with eight seconds remaining in the final period and the Timberwolves up one , the Lakers had one final shot to win with just four seconds remaining . Kobe Bryant inbounded the ball to Lou Williams , who drove to the basket off a Julius Randle screen , but the floater hit the back of the rim and popped out and Minnesota managed to escape . The Timberwolves were lead by an incredible performance from Ricky Rubio , who finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes . The point guard managed to effectively shoot the ball from the field and find his teammates throughout Wednesday 's contest . He also went turnover free for the first three quarters of the game . Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double - double in his NBA regular season debut , as he finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes . Last year 's Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins struggled to start the season , shooting just 2 - of - 10 from the field and finishing with nine points in 29 minutes . Kevin Martin managed to make up for Wiggins 's struggles , as he scored 23 points in 29 minutes in his new role off the bench . Kobe Bryant 's return to the court was highlighted by inefficiency , as while the Mamba scored a team - high 24 points , he shot just 8 - of - 24 from the field and 3 - of - 13 from three . The Lakers ' frontcourt , however , put together an impressive performance , as both Roy Hubert and Julius Randle recorded double - doubles in points and rebounds . Rookie D'Angelo Russell struggled in his realgar season debut , recording just four points and two assists in 26 minutes . Up next , the Timberwolves will travel to Denver Friday to take on the Nuggets , while the Lakers will head to Sacramento Friday and go up against the Kings .


The Dallas Mavericks ( 2 - 1 ) handed the Los Angeles Lakers ( 0 - 3 ) on Sunday night , 103 - 93 , giving L.A. their third loss in a row to start the season.The Mavericks had the lead the whole way Sunday night , though the Lakers did make it a two - possession game with a late rally thanks to some threes from Kobe Bryant and Lou Williams . Chandler Parsons made his return to the lineup for Dallas after being out since last season , although he played just 11 minutes and shot only 1 - for - 6 from the field . Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points on 10 - for - 13 shooting , going 3 - for - 5 from distance and also hauling in nine rebounds . Five other players scored in double digits for the Mavs , including 16 points and 12 rebounds from Zaza Pachuilia , 11 points and eight assists from Deron Williams and 11 points on 5 - of - 8 shooting by Raymond Felton . J.J. Barea played a great game off the bench , providing energy along with seven assists and 10 points.Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have n't looked good so far this season , and it continued Sunday night . The Lakers shot a miserable 36 percent from the field and 29 percent from three - point land in this game . The one bright spot was the play of youngster Julius Randle , who had a monster game with 22 points and 15 rebounds . He also added four assists and four steals . Kobe notched 15 points and five rebounds , but shot a poor 3 - of - 15 from the floor . Rookie starting point guard D ' Angelo Russell heated up late in the game , but only managed 10 points and three rebounds on the night . The Lakers will need some time to find their rhythm , with quite a few new faces and a lot of shooters on their roster.The Lakers now have a day off and will be at home once again on Tuesday to host the Denver Nuggets . Dallas , on the other hand , will head home to play the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday . The Raptors are looking good so far and will be planning to spoil the Mavericks ' home opener .


The Denver Nuggets ( 2 - 2 ) beat the Los Angles Lakers ( 0 - 4 ) 120 - 109 on Tuesday at the Staples Center . The Nuggets pulled off an unlikely feat Tuesday , by beating the Lakers for the fifth straight game at the Staples Center . That probably says more about where the Lakers are at this point more than the Nuggets , as the Lakers are still winless a week into the season . The referees may need to get new whistles after this game as well , as there were 53 combined fouls and 69 combined free - throw attempts Tuesday . Denver has really struggled over their last two games , suffering blowouts to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder , but showed up here against the hapless Lakers . The Nuggets got some great performances from their big men , as Kenneth Faried finished with 29 points and 15 boards , while fill - in J.J. Hickson tallied 17 points and seven rebounds . Those two also shot 18 - for - 21 from the field and had a lot of help from rookie Emmanuel Muiday , who recorded his first career double - double with 12 points and 10 assists . The biggest discrepancy in the stat line was that the Nuggets out - assisted the Lakers 30 - 18 and shot over 50 percent from the field . Denver will look to keep this momentum going against the Utah Jazz ( 2 - 1 ) on Thursday . The Lakers continue to struggle , as the defense is clearly one of the worst in the NBA . They are currently allowing about 117 points per game , which easily ranks near the bottom of the league . They did , however , have some nice offensive performances from Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson in this loss . Williams scored 24 points off the bench while going 16 - of - 19 from the free - throw line , and Clarkson tied a career - high with 30 points in the loss . Things are n't going to get much easier for the Lakers though , as 16 of their next 20 games are on the road . They start that stretch by traveling to Brooklyn ( 0 - 4 ) on Friday in a battle of winless teams .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 2 - 8 ) beat the Detroit Pistons ( 5 - 5 ) 97 - 85 at the Staples Center on Sunday . Kobe Bryant rounded out the stat sheet and got the Lakers faithful out of their seats after finishing with 17 points , eight rebounds and nine assists on 6 - for - 19 shooting . The 20 - year NBA veteran was far from his vintage form , but added an important 3 - pointer , and free throws down the stretch to help the Lakers close out the game . The Pistons were led by Andre Drummond , who continues to dominate the glass against every team he faces and finished the night with 17 rebounds , to go along with 17 points and three assists on 8 - for - 18 shooting . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 10 points , but struggled from the field after finishing 4 - for - 15 in the losing effort . Spencer Dinwiddie outperformed Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson ( nine points , four rebounds and three assists ) , as he totaled 17 points , two rebounds and four assists on 6 - for - 9 shooting in 23:43 off the bench . Jordan Clarkson matched Bryant 's 17 points and added six rebounds and three assists in 29:14 , outperforming rookie D'Angelo Russell , who continues to see lowly minutes . Russell played 20:54 and scored nine points in addition to five rebounds and two assists on 3 - for - 9 shooting . The No . 2 overall pick in the draft fired six 3 - pointers , but only managed to hit one of them , while the streaky Nick Young provided 13 points off the bench on 4 - for - 6 shooting . The Lakers moved the ball well and tightened up on defense , holding the Pistons to 37 percent shooting . Roy Hibbert was tasked with the difficult assignment of Andre Drummond , but finished with 12 points , seven rebounds and two blocks . The Pistons will host the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 8 - 2 ) on Tuesday , while the Lakers will visit the Phoenix Suns ( 5 - 4 ) on Monday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 8 - 6 ) beat the Los Angeles Lakers ( 2 - 10 ) 102 - 91 at Staples Center on Friday . Kyle Lowry commanded the floor and led the Raptors to a strong team win , providing 25 points , five rebounds , five assists and three steals in the all around impressive performance . The de facto leader of the north , Lowry shot lights out from the 3 - point line , draining 7 - of - 11 shots from deep . Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan added 18 points , four rebounds and two assists on 5 - of - 12 shooting , The Raptors shot efficiently from deep , tallying 15 3 - pointers on 45 percent shooting . The Lakers struggles continued and a frustrated Kobe Bryant looked to get his seemingly motionless team to spread the floor , but the effort did not come to fruition . Bryant finished with 10 points , four rebounds and five assists on 5 - for - 13 shooting from the field and led the team with 37 minutes played . The Lakers flashed some signs of optimism , with sophomore Julius Randle finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds , which completed his third double - double of the season . D'Angelo Russell played 33 minutes , the most of his young rookie season so far and contributed 17 points , five rebounds and two assists on on 7 - of - 16 shooting . The Lakers were not as fortunate from the 3 - point line , finishing 8 - for - 25 from deep , which proved to be the difference maker down the stretch for the Raptors . The Staples Center will be busy on Sunday , with the Raptors facing the Los Angeles Clippers ( 6 - 6 ) in the matinee , and the Lakers hosting the Portland Trail Blazers ( 5 - 9 ) at night .


The Portland Trail Blazers ( 6 - 9 ) beat the Los Angeles Lakers ( 2 - 11 ) 107 - 93 at Staples Center on Sunday . Damian Lillard led all scorers with 30 points , to go along with six rebounds and 13 assists , as the Blazers cruised in transition and the dominated the paint throughout the night . Lillard ranks sixth in scoring in the NBA , and the Lakers had no way of slowing down the explosive point guard . C.J . McCollum continues to thrive in Terry Stotts ' offense and finished with 19 points , four rebounds and five assists on 8 - for - 13 shooting . Mason Plumlee added a double - double , tallying 17 points and 11 rebounds . Through 13 games , the Lakers poor trend of shooting and shot selection arises each time they take the floor . Kobe Bryant and Lou Williams see a majority of isolation plays , but neither shooter is scoring at an efficient rate . Bryant finished with 18 points on 6 - for - 22 shooting , including trouble behind the arc ( 0 - for - 5 ) , in 31 minutes played . D'Angelo Russell rounded out the stat sheet , but struggled to find his shot in the second half , as he contributed 13 points , nine rebounds and six assists . The Lakers rank in the bottom tier of defensive efficiency and are getting torched in transition on a regular basis . Roy Hibbert has protected the rim and finished with four blocks , in addition to seven points and eight rebounds , but his pace is not aiding the Lakers defensive woes . The Lakers head north on Tuesday , where the undefeated Golden State Warriors ( 150 ) await their arrival , one game away from making NBA history . The Trail Blazers also play on Tuesday , where they will host the Chicago Bulls ( 8 - 4 ) .


The Indiana Pacers ( 11 - 5 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 2 - 14 ) 107 - 103 on Sunday . The Pacers received more than they likely bargained for from a feistly Lakers squad that perhaps played with a bit more fire than usual , following Kobe Bryant 's announcement earlier in the day confirming his retirement at season 's end . The perennial All-Star appropriately generated some late - game excitement with a clutch three - point shot that closed the deficit for the home team to 104 - 103 with 12 seconds left , but Paul George was able to seal the victory for the Pacers by draining three out of four free - throws in the final 10 seconds . It was fitting that George clinched the hard - fought win , considering that he spearheaded Indiana 's offensive attack once again with 39 points , four rebounds , an assist and a pair of steals over 37 minutes . It marked the third consecutive game that the standout forward has been at 33 points or better , including a 40 - point outing . The backcourt duo of George Hill and Monta Ellis also made solid contributions , with both guards posting double - digit scoring performances . Hill amassed 11 points and complemented it with six rebounds , three assists and a pair of steals , while Ellis pitched in 15 points , six assists and a block . After an up - and - down start to his Pacers tenure , Ellis has now posted double - digit scoring in seven of his last eight games . C.J . Miles had a quiet outing by his recent standards , pouring in only nine points , and Ian Mahinmi rounded out the starting five 's contributions with eight points and 10 boards in another solid game . Rodney Stuckey paced the Indiana reserves with 11 points , seven rebounds and a pair of assists . The Pacers improved to 11 - 5 and currently reside in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They remain in Los Angeles to face off with the Clippers on Wednesday . Outside of his brief moment of fourth - quarter glory , Bryant turned in another absolutely forgettable shooting effort . He shot only 20 percent from the field , needing all of 20 shots to reach his final output of 13 points . He also added four rebounds , three assists and a steal . Meanwhile , Bryant 's heir apparent at his old shooting guard spot , Jordan Clarkson , continued his recent strong play with an outstanding 22 - point , 10 - rebound double - double . Julius Randle , another one of the young stars giving Lakers ' brass and fans hope for the future , tallied his third double - double in the last five games with 11 points and 12 rebounds , with all but one of those boards coming on the defensive glass . D'Angelo Russell continued his inconsistent shooting performances , totaling eight points on 4 - of - 11 from the field , and adding seven rebounds and a trio of assists . Roy Hibbert turned in a serviceable effort at the center spot , collecting eight points and hauling in nine boards . Nick Young surprisingly tied Clarkson for the team scoring lead with an unexpected 22 - point night off the bench , following four consecutive games in which he 'd only mustered single - digit point totals . The Lakers fell to 2 - 13 and currently reside in last place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They head to Philadelphia to face the Sixers on Tuesday .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 4 - 21 ) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks ( 10 - 16 ) 113 - 95 on Tuesday . After Milwaukee beat the undefeated Golden State Warriors in their most recent game , fans hoped they came out of their slump . Clearly not , as the Lakers handled them here in a blowout win . The Lakers had a 20 - point lead after three quarters and this game was well out of hand before the final buzzer . The rebounding was the big difference , as the Lakers grabbed 52 to Milwaukee 's 38 . The free - throw shooting was a huge disparity as well , as the Lakers hit 21 - of - 25 while the Bucks went just 11 - for - 20 . Milwaukee was coming off one of their biggest wins in team history , but it does n't matter much anymore after losing to a four - win Lakers team . They still want 1 - 1 in those two games like everyone expected and that win means almost nothing now . This team continues to play poorly on both ends and there does n't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel . Michael Carter-Williams was the lone bright spot in this game , as he tallied 19 points , five rebounds and five assists off the bench . They did have to play this game without Greg Monroe and that left them with very little post presence . Monroe missed the game due to some knee soreness and his status is up in the air for Milwaukee 's next game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday . The Lakers have been struggling mightily all season , but this was a great all - around performance . Seven players scored in double - figures with Kobe Bryant leading the team with 22 points . The bench was espcially good , as youngsters Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell both played well here . Randle recorded a 14 point - 14 rebound double - double , while Russell amassed 19 points , seven assists and four rebounds . It 's rare to see this Lakers team hit on all cylinders like this , but it 's a good sight for Los Angeles fans . They 'll look to build off this rare win , when they take in the Houston Rockets on Thursday in their next scheduled game .


The Houston Rockets ( 13 - 14 ) took down the Los Angeles Lakers ( 4 - 22 ) by a 107 - 87 final Thursday night at the Staples Center . The Rockets nailed five three - pointers in the first quarter to jump out to a 29 - 18 lead after the first frame . They would hold that lead for the entire game , as the Lakers were never closer than six points down in the second half . James Harden 's 25 points led all scorers despite a rough shooting night ( 7 - 24 field goals , 2 - 9 three - pointers ) , and he added six assists and six rebounds . Clint Capela ( 10 points , 12 rebounds ) and Dwight Howard ( 16 points , 15 rebounds ) both recorded double - doubles out of the Houston front court . Houston 's size advantage was a factor all game long , as the Rockets pulled down a ridiculous 23 offensive rebounds , over 40 percent of their missed shots on the offensive end . The Lakers were n't competitive despite one of Kobe Bryant 's most effective games of the season , as he scored a team - high 22 points on 9 - 16 shooting and added eight rebounds . Julius Randle was active off the bench , scoring 18 points ( 6 - 15 shooting ) and grabbing 10 rebounds . The Lakers could n't shoot themselves out of their early deficit , as they went just 5 - 24 from three - point land as a team . The Lakers have lost seven of eight and will face a difficult test in their next contest Sunday in Oklahoma City . Houston ended a two - game losing streak with Thursday 's victory and will look to make it a winning streak Sunday at home against the Clippers .


The Oklahoma City Thunder ( 20 - 9 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 5 - 24 ) 120 - 85 on Wednesday . Kobe Bryant was far from his vintage self , scoring only two points in the second half of the game , and finished with 19 points , three assists and one rebound on 7 - of - 22 shooting . Bryant and Thunder forward Kevin Durant looked to be enjoying their matchup , but Durant got the better of five time NBA champion in the blowout win . The Lakers were without sophomore forward Julius Randle ( ankle ) and started Larry Nance Jr in his place . Nance contributed a lowly four points and five rebounds in the losing effort . Rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell added 18 points off the bench and outscored starting guard Jordan Clarkson , who finished with 10 points , six rebounds and two assists . The Lakers shot their way out of the game from the very beginning of the second half , completing just 36 percent of their field goals and going 7 - of - 25 from the 3 - point line . The Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook , who threw down two highlight worthy dunks on his way to 23 points , eight rebounds and eight assists . Kevin Durant added 21 points of his own , to go along with seven rebounds and five assists on 7 - of - 9 shooting . Serge Ibaka , Andre Roberson and Enes Kanter all finished in double figures alongside Westbrook and Durant . Billy Donovan used all 13 of his players , and every player was able to convert a bucket . Oklahoma City shot 53 percent from the field and cruised to an easy victory at the Staples Center . Both teams play on Christmas Day , with the Thunder hosting the Chicago Bulls ( 15 - 11 ) , while the Lakers entertain the Los Angeles Clippers ( 15 - 13 ) .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 17 - 13 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 5 - 25 ) 94 - 84 on Friday night in a Christmas Day showdown . This game seemed well out of hand to start the fourth quarter , but the Lakers made a late run to give fans some hope . They still fell short , but they cut a 28 - point lead to eight points with about three minutes left . The look on Doc Rivers face would not indicate a double - digit win and he feels lucky to escape with a win . The Lakers actually outscored the Clippers 27 - 9 in the final 12 minutes , and they would have won if they did n't get down by so much through the first three quarters . The Clippers played fantastic for the first three quarters , but let down in a big way to let the Lakers backups back in the game . The win is n't going to look good in filmroom tomorrow , but a win is a win and they needed it . Chris Paul was back to his old form , as he tallied 23 points , five rebounds , and six assists in the win . Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan also did a good job of controlling the post , as they totaled 22 points , 26 rebounds and eight assists . The bench were the ones who struggled , as they allowed the Lakers to climb back into the game . The Clippers will travel to Salt Lake City on Saturday to take on the Utah Jazz in their next game . No Lakers starter scored more than 12 points and they really would n't have been in this game if it were n't for their bench . Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell combined for 27 points , 15 rebounds and five steals to nearly bring the Lakers back from a 28 - point deficit . Kobe Bryant hit three three - pointers in this game and set a record for the most three 's made by anyone on Christmas . This was n't a pretty performance by the Lakers , but it 's a promising sign to see their youngsters bring them back and show some resiliency . They 'll look to build on this when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 7 - 27 ) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers ( 3 - 32 ) 93 - 84 on Friday night . In a battle of the two worst teams in the NBA , the less worse team prevailed . Philly 's first win of the season came against the Lakers and it was evident Los Angeles wanted to return the favor in their home building . They played some of the best defense they 've played all season , as they allowed just 84 points on 37 percent shooting . They also dominated the turnover battle , as the Sixers committed 16 turnovers while the Lakers committed just 10 . Both teams shot under 38 percent from the field and they shot a combined 9 - for - 40 from long distance for an atrocious 23 percent . The Sixers have been a revived team recently , but could n't muster up much here . The worst offense in the NBA showed it 's true colors tonight and could n't get anything going . The only player who played well was Nerlens Noel , who tallied 15 points , 12 rebounds , three assists , three steals and three blocks in the loss . T.J. McConnell also had a solid game off the bench , as he amassed 12 points , seven assists and four rebounds . Jahlil Okafor came off the bench here once again and it may be time to re - insert him into the starting - five , considering he is the best offensive player on this team . The Sixers will have a tough task on Saturday , as they 'll have to play the Los Angeles Clippers in the second half of a back - to - back set . The Lakers played this game without Kobe Bryant and it was one of their best games of the season . The bench brought in some great energy , as all four players grabbed at least three rebounds and combined for an impressive 10 steals . Lou Williams was the star of the night though , as he contributed 24 points , five assists and four rebounds in the win . Larry Nance Jr. also had a nice game , as he set a career - high with 14 rebounds in the victory . This is n't a great win by any means , but it 's definitely something for them to build off of going forward . The Lakers will take on the Phoenix suns on Sunday in their next game .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 8 - 27 ) defeated the Phoenix Suns ( 12 - 25 ) 97 - 77 on Sunday . The Lakers have largely suffered through a miserable 2015 - 16 campaign so far , with Kobe Bryant 's league - wide retirement tour and the positive vibes it 's generated serving as their primary source of pride and optimism . However , Los Angeles has slowly begun showing signs of life in recent games , with their mix of young and veteran pieces starting to gel . With Sunday 's dominating victory , a game in which they led by as much as 30 at one point , the Lakers have now won a season - high three straight games . It 's their first such streak since last February , and while not a notable winning stretch for most other teams in the NBA , it could certainly be an indicator of a progressively improving squad . Phoenix continues to struggle on offense without Eric Bledsoe , who is out for the season after knee surgery . Backcourt mate Brandon Knight is certainly doing his best to hold down the fort , and led the Suns in scoring Sunday with 25 points and nine assists . It was his second consecutive 20 - point - plus effort , and he 's now put up a robust 62 shot attempts over the last three games , a tangible indicator of the offensive responsibility the five - year pro is shouldering . Unfortunately for both Phoenix and Knight , Bledsoe 's replacement , rookie Devin Booker , was the only other starter who posted double - digit scoring , managing 10 points and adding four rebounds , an assist and a steal . Mirza Teletovic paced the reserves with 16 points , eight rebounds and an assist , his third straight game with double - digit points . Tyson Chandler ( two points ) , Jon Leuer ( four points ) and P.J . Tucker ( five points ) led a parade of underwhelming offensive efforts for the Suns , who also were hampered by a shockingly scoreless outing from T.J. Warren over 21 minutes off the bench . Phoenix fell to 12 - 25 and continues in fourth place in the Westen Conference 's Pacific Division . They head home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday . The home team was spearheaded by an explosive performance from two - guard Louis Williams , who collected a season - high 30 points and also equaled a season best by hauling in seven rebounds . The veteran drained a season - best six three - pointers as well , managing his best shooting night from long range on the season ( 86 percent ) . Larry Nance , Jr. posted an impressive double - double in support of Williams ' effort , posting 15 points and 14 boards . Roy Hibbert ( 13 points ) and Jordan Clarkson ( 12 points ) were the other starters to also reach double - digit scoring , and the pair also stuffed the stat sheet in other categories . The former added six rebounds , three assists and three blocks , while the latter supplemented his points with seven assists , five rebounds , three steals and a block . Brandon Bass led the Los Angeles bench with an eight - point outing . The Lakers improved to 8 - 27 but remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They 'll be home again on Tuesday for a date with the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors .


The Golden State Warriors ( 33 - 2 ) rolled over the Los Angeles Lakers ( 8 - 28 ) 109 - 88 on Tuesday night . In a game that was a major mismatch on paper , there was n't much fight from the big underdog . The starters for the Warriors dominated in the first and third quarters , as they outscored the Lakers 67 - 38 in that 24 - minute stretch . Usually the Warriors win by outscoring teams , but they played some of their best defense of the season here . The Lakers shot just 32 percent from the field and 24 percent from long distance . This game was well out of hand early and mismatches like this are ugly to watch for NBA fans . Not many teams can keep up with Golden State and especially not the Lakers . The Warriors blitzed them in the first quarter and then hit them even harder coming out after the half time . Klay Thompson was the star of the show , as he scored 22 first quarter points and finished the game with 36 in total . Steph Curry had to leave this game in the third quarter after re - aggravating his shin injury and Warriors fans have to be concerned at this point with hs continuous distress . After getting three - straight triple - doubles , Draymond Green had a subpar outing , by scoring just nine points while grabbing 12 rebounds in the win . Golden State has a few days off until they play the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday in their next game . The Lakers came into this game with a miraculous three - game winning streak , but left with a blowout loss in an expected scenario . Considering the spread was at 15 points coming in , the final scoreline does n't look as bad . Only one Lakers player scored more than 11 points , as everyone struggled to find their shot . Jordan Clarkson was the only bright spot , as he scored a team - high 23 points in just 29 minutes of action . They did have to play this game without Kobe Bryant and D'Angelo Russell , but the result likely would have been the same even if those two played . Los Angeles will look to bounce back in their next game against the surging Sacramento Kings on Thursday .


The Oklahoma City Thunder ( 26 - 11 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 117 - 113 on Friday night . The prior results from this particular matchup would have indicated a Thunder blowout , but this was one of the most exciting games of the night . In fact , Oklahoma City won its first two games against the Lakers by a combined 75 points , but could n't slow them down here . The Thunder simply made some big plays late that carried them to a win with very little to differentiate the two teams . Both teams shot right around 50 percent from the field and the pace was incredible throughout . Oklahoma City is one of the three - best rebounding teams in the NBA and that was the difference here , as they recorded 45 boards to the Lakers 34 . The Thunder made this game much closer than expected , but they still ended up with the win . Once again it was Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant who carried the torch for the Thunder . Westbrook flirted with a triple - double by amassing 36 points , 12 rebounds and seven assists in the win . Durant scored 24 points while snatching down seven rebounds as well . This marks Oklahoma City 's fourth - straight road win and that 's a great sign with their road struggles earlier in the season . The Thunder will look to keep the good times rolling on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers . The Lakers played much better here than most people expected and fans have to be encouraged with the recent play . Lou Williams was just majestic late in this game , as he scored 23 fourth quarter points en route to a career - high 44 points in the game . What was most impressive is that he went 15 - for - 15 from the free - throw line . Kobe Bryant also played very well , as he tallied 19 points , four rebounds and six assists . The bench was yet again a disappointment , as no player scored in double - figures . The best part about this loss was the fight that the Lakers showed , as they played hard throughout and battled against a team who killed them in their first two games . Los Angeles next game will be on Sunday against the Utah Jazz .


The Utah Jazz ( 17 - 20 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 8 - 31 ) 86 - 74 at Staples Center on Sunday . The Jazz earned a low scoring road win to improve to 6 - 12 while traveling on the season , behind quality shooting from Gordon Hayward , and the growing health of returning players Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood ( ankle ) . Hood was questionable entering the contest , but got the starting shooting guard nod and increased the depth that Utah has desperately needed throughout the year . Rudy Gobert returned against the Heat on Saturday and was efficient on both ends of the floor in 30 minutes of play . The `` Stifle Tower '' blocked three shots and grabbed five rebounds , to go along with 10 points on 3 - of - 3 shooting against the Lakers in his second game back on Sunday . Heyward led all scorers 25 points on 10 - of - 21 shooting , and matched Gobert with three blocked shots of his own . Derrick Favors ( back ) missed his 10th consecutive game , but the outlook is positive , as he will look to make a return on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers . The Lakers were without D'Angelo Russell ( ankle ) , Kobe Bryant ( achilles ) and Brandon Bass ( eye ) and the resulting sparsity in depth , combined with an atrocious 33 percent shooting from the field , cost them another game at home . Lou Williams started alongside Jordan Clarkson , but was not able to rekindle his magical 44 point performance that happened against the Thunder on Friday . In fact , Williams struggled to get any 3 - point shot to fall and finished with 18 points on 1 - of - 8 shooting from deep . His total was good enough to lead the Lakers in scoring , but the bigger picture problem was reliant on Los Angeles having nobody to turn to when the streaky Williams could not find a rhythm . Jordan Clarkson attacked the rim , but was not getting any luck on that front and finished with 14 points . The backcourt is not entirely to blame , as the aforementioned injuries were the real issue in the game . Julius Randle pitched in 11 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes , starting forward Larry Nance Jr. added 10 points , while Roy Hibbert and Andrew Brown failed to reach double figures . The Jazz will head north and visit the Portland Trail Blazers ( 16 - 24 ) on Wednesday , while the Lakers will host the New Orleans Pelicans ( 11 - 25 ) on Tuesday .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 9 - 31 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 11 - 26 ) 95 - 91 on Tuesday night . In a battle between two horrible defenses , the offenses really struggled . The two teams combined for just 79 points in the first half and shot horrendously . The Pelicans actually outshot the Lakers 42 percent to 37 percent in the game , but fouled far too often . The Lakers got to the free - throw line 32 times while the Pelicans got there just 14 times . The three - point shooting was horrible all - around , as the two teams combined to go 12 - for - 52 from long distance . What won it for the Lakers was a 28 - point fourth quarter in which they trailed by four heading in . New Orleans had to play this game without Anthony Davis and they clearly miss him when he 's not in the lineup . They are now 0 - 5 without Davis starting and the offense simply looks bad without him . Six players scored in double - figures for New Orleans tonight , but the other four players who appeared combined for just six points . Tyreke Evans was once again the best player , as he tallied 21 points , five rebounds and four assists , despite missing two three 's late that ended up being huge . The Pelicans will have to play on Wednesday in their next game in a back - to - back against the Sacramento Kings . The Lakers have been playing better ball as of late and this result shows why . The defense has taken a complete 180 over recent weeks and this marks the fourth time in their last seven games where they have allowed 97 or less points . Kobe Bryant was dealing with Achilles soreness coming in and failed to return after the half due to a recurrence of the injury . Lou Williams has been the best player over recent weeks for the Lakers and he was here once again , as he finished with 19 points , eight assists and four rebounds . He went 10 - for - 10 from the free - throw line and Williams has been making a living from there all season long . Jordan Clarkson had n't scored for the first 20 minutes or so of this game , but ended up finishing with 18 points and seven boards in a great second half . Los Angeles will need to keep playing well in their next game , when they travel to Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors on Thursday .


The Houston Rockets ( 22 - 20 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 9 - 34 ) 112 - 95 at Staples Center on Sunday . James Harden came into the contest as the NBA 's second leading scorer with 28 point per game and exceeded his yearly mark to lead all scorers with 31 points , to go along with three rebounds and five assists . While 31 points is not breaking news , it is impressive that Harden did it in just over 27 minutes of play and on 10 - of - 17 shooting . Dwight Howard and Clint Capela dominated the glass , and proved to be far too much for the Lakers frontcourt to handle , as both bigs combined for 26 rebounds alongside 14 points each . The rebounding battle , 51 - 36 , was heavily in favor of Houston , who disallowed the Lakers to keep most offensive possessions alive , after holding the young opposition to just three offensive rebounds . Ty Lawson , Marcus Thornton and Montrezl Harrell provided double figures off the bench and saw increased minutes in the fourth quarter , after the Rockets were comfortably ahead by 20 points throughout most of the second half . The Rockets will stay in Los Angeles and face the Clippers ( 26 - 14 ) in the second game of a back - to - back on Monday . The Lakers were handed another loss and the 10 win mark of the season continues to be an uphill battle . Coming off a loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday , the Lakers improved upon their shot selection , as seen by 45 percent shooting as a unit . Los Angeles entered the half down only three points , but the same storyline troubles the team : youth , inexperience and rebounding . Julius Randle seems to be busting out of his slump and pitched in a double - double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes , however , he did lose the matchup with Clint Capela , who beat Randle with speed and strength on the glass . Kobe Bryant played more of a point guard oriented role , scoring five points on five shots while dishing out nine assists . Most of Randle 's baskets were easy handoffs from Bryant as he would storm the lane , draw the double team , and find his sophomore forward waiting patiently for an easy dunk . Lou Williams shot more efficiently en route to a second straight 20 points performance and Jordan Clarkson rounded out the stat sheet with 16 points , three assists , three rebounds and two steals . The Lakers will host the Sacramento Kings ( 17 - 23 ) on Wednesday .


The Sacramento Kings ( 18 - 23 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 9 - 35 ) 112 - 93 at Staples Center on Wednesday . The Kings improved to 6 - 4 over their last 10 games , as DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo continue to mesh in coach George Karl 's system . While the Kings are still five games under .500 on the season , they are still in playoff contention and trail the Trail Blazers by two games for the 8 - seed in the Western Conference . DeMarcus Cousins was an unstoppable force in the win , as the Lakers had no way of matching up against him . Cousins finished with 36 points , 16 rebounds and five assists on 13 - of - 22 shooting . Many of Cousins buckets came off of Rajon Rondo 's supreme court vision , in which the point guard dished out a whopping 17 assists . The Kentucky product is back on form halfway through the season after a mishap in Dallas last year , and over his last 10 games , Rondo is averaging 12 assists . Sacramento was efficient from the midrange and in the restricted area as shown by their 48 percent shooting as a unit . The Kings will host the Atlanta Hawks ( 26 - 17 ) on Thursday . The Lakers woes continued as they fell short of grabbing their 10th win of the season and are now owners of a four game losing streak . While they were able to improve upon their shot selection , the shots simply did not fall in their favor . Roy Hibbert was ineffective as a rim protector when matched up against Cousins , but he is not the only Lakers player to blame , considering Cousins trucked everybody in his path . Kobe Bryant ( achilles ) played 31 minutes in front of the hometown crowd , and as we are inching closer and closer to a Kobe-less Lakers , the precious moments of a truly great player become a little more heartwarming , or sickening , depending on how you look at it . Bryant scored 15 points on 4 - of - 13 shooting , while the backcourt duo of Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell combined for 28 points and six assists . It was rewarding to see D'Angelo Russell run the offense for most of the 3rd quarter , and maybe Byron Scott will lean towards developing the youth more and focusing on Kobe a little less . Brandon Bass had one of his better games of the season and contributed 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench . The Lakers will look to bust out of their slump when they host the San Antonio Spurs ( 36 - 6 ) on Friday .


The San Antonio Spurs ( 38 - 6 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 9 - 36 ) 108 - 95 on Friday night . This used to be a marquee matchup in years past , but these franchises are going in different directions right now . Not only did this extend a winning streak to 13 games for the Spurs , it gave the Lakers their eighth loss in their last nine games . San Antonio just papercut this Lakers team to death , as they never went on any huge runs , but won the first three quarters by a combined 16 points . It was good old Spurs basketball that won them the game here , as they committed just six turnovers while dishing out 26 assists . They also held the Lakers to just 40 percent shooting for the majority of the game , before letting up late with bench players playing garbage time . A total of 13 players played in this game for the Spurs and it marked yet another easy win for the most dominant team in basketball right now . The bench combined for 56 points , which has been a regular occurrence considering they rank first in bench points and bench minutes this season . Manu Ginobili was spectacular tonight off the bench , as he tallied 20 points , four rebounds , four assists , five steals and two blocks in a renaissance performance in just 19 minutes of action . Kawhi Leonard also had a nice game , as he totaled 18 points , four rebounds , two steals and three blocks in another defensive showcase . Nobody on the team played more than 23 minutes aside from Leonard and that 's just what Gregg Popovich wanted in the back end of a back - to - back set . Up next is one of the games of the season , as the Spurs take on the Golden State Warriors on Monday . Times are tough in La-La Land right now and this expected blowout ended up playing out just as people anticipated . It was n't for a lack of effort though , as the team did n't lose any individual quarter by double - digits . Kobe Bryant had to deal with Kawhi Leonard defense , which is downright cruel in his farewell season , as he went 2 - for - 9 from the field to score just five points . Every other starter actually scored in double - figures , with Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson leading the starters with 16 points a piece . Julius Randle got a start here and recorded an impressive double - double , as he scored 12 points to go along with 14 rebounds . D'Angelo Russell led the team in scoring with 18 points off the bench . Los Angeles will have to play again on Saturday in a back - to - back , as they travel to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers .


The Dallas Mavericks ( 26 - 21 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 9 - 38 ) 92 - 90 at Staples Center on Tuesday . The Mavericks have owned the Lakers over the past three seasons and Tuesday marked the 10th straight loss for Los Angeles against the Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavs . With 1:36 left in regulation , Jordan Clarkson hit a floating jump shot to tie the game at 90 , and it took another 1:34 before Dirk Nowitzki drained a vintage baseline jumper with :2 remaining to take a two point lead . On the ensuing possession , Julius Randle received an inbound pass at the top of the three - point line and his shot went off the side of the rim as time expired . The Lakers are now owners of a seven game losing streak . Nowitzki was far from efficient , but has not lost his clutch factor , proven by his fadeaway game winner . The Mavericks leader finished with 13 points and six rebounds on 5 - of - 14 shooting in 30 minutes . J.J. Barea led all Mavericks in scoring with 18 points off the bench , to go along with four rebounds and four assists . Chandler Parsons got off to a hot start , but cooled down in the second half , but scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds 35 minutes . The Lakers were without Kobe Bryant ( shoulder ) , but competed with Dallas for the entirety of the game . Julius Randle is starting to show signs of improvement and has strung together five good games entering the contest ( 9 points and 10 rebounds ) , and added his 16th double - double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds . Jordan Clarkson rounded out the box score with 18 points , six rebounds and seven assists , while rookie D'Angelo Russell finished with 12 points and zero assists . The Lakers will look to end their seven game skid when they host the Chicago Bulls ( 25 - 19 ) on Thursday , while the Mavericks play the second game of a back - to - back when they visit the Golden State Warriors ( 41 - 4 ) on Wednesday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 26 - 19 ) took care of business against the Los Angeles Lakers ( 9 - 39 ) on Thursday in a 114 - 91 win . Chicago got off to a hot start and they never looked back after that . They took a 32 - 15 lead in the first quarter and the game never seemingly got close after that point . The defense was key for the Bulls on Thursday , as they held the Lakers to just 38 percent shooting and drew 14 turnovers in the win . Chicago also dominated the rebounding as they snatched down 51 rebounds to the Lakers 41 . The shooting was a big difference as well , with the Bulls shooting 50 percent and scoring 56 points in the paint while allowing the Lakers to score just 26 paint points . The Bulls have been struggling recently , but this date with the Lakers is just what the doctor ordered . Derrick Rose did n't have a huge game statistically with just 16 points and five assists , but he had a burst that was undeniable and a great sign for Bulls fans for the future . Jimmy Butler was once again the hero , as he tallied 26 points , five rebounds and 10 assists in the win . Pau Gasol also played great , as he amassed 21 points , 12 rebounds and seven assists in the victory . The Bulls will look to keep this momentum going on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers . This marked the Lakers 12th loss in their last 13 games and their seventh loss in their last eight games by at least 13 points . Lou Williams sat out this game with an illness and it was clear they really missed them with no Lakers player having a big night . Jordan Clarkson led the team with 16 points , but had the worst plus - minus at a - 29 . Julius Randle had a solid game as well , as he scored 14 points to go along with eight rebounds . Up next for the Lakers is a date against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 23 - 25 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 9 - 41 ) 101 - 82 at Staples Center on Sunday . As the halfway point of the season has passed , and the upcoming all - star break is around the corner , the Lakers will likely look to start thinking about 2016 - 2017 and the NBA Draft because it was the same story with Los Angeles , who picked up their 10th straight loss and dropped to 4 - 24 at home . Kobe Bryant played to the delight of the hometown crowd , and provided one of his better performances of the season , as he finished with 23 points , eight rebounds and three assists on 8 - of - 18 shooting in 23 minutes . The rout was on early for Charlotte , who stretched a double figure lead and danced around a 30 point blowout for most of the second half . The Lakers turned the ball over 15 times and Charlotte exploited the youthful Los Angeles roster , specifically D'Angelo Russell , who converted five of the team 's turnovers . Russell contributed 10 points , six rebounds and one assist off the bench . Julius Randle strung together another double - double with 10 points and 11 rebounds , while his frontcourt partner , Roy Hibbert , finished with zero points and two boards in a weak showing from the veteran . Kemba Walker 's torrid shooting did not have a large impact on the Hornets all around effort , as the frontcourt combination of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist , who made his season debut on Friday against the Blazers , and Marvin Williams contributed 38 points and 24 rebounds . Even more impressively , they combined to go 6 - of - 10 from behind the arc , which constantly kept the game far out of reach from the Lakers . Nobody else on the Hornets was nearly as polarizing as the two forwards , but a bright spot came from rookie Frank Kaminsky , who finished with 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench . The Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 14 - 35 ) on Tuesday , while the Hornets will entertain LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 34 - 12 ) on Wednesday .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 10 - 41 ) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 14 - 36 ) 119 - 115 on Tuesday night . Los Angeles carried a 10 - game losing streak into this game , but walked away with a much needed win . Both offenses were extremely efficient , as they both shot over 50 percent from the field . The 66 - point first half marked the highest - scoring first half for the Lakers all season and it set a great precedent , as they carried a 14 - point lead into the half . The Timberwolves shot 58 percent from the field and nearly came back in the second half , but simply got too far down to revive themselves . A key statistic was the turnover differential , as the Wolves committed 15 turnovers to the Lakers nine . The Timberwolves had one of their best offensive performances of the season , but still could n't pull out a win . They have now lost 20 games in their last 23 with this defeat . They actually shot well over 55 percent from the field in this game and recorded 36 assists on 46 made buckets , so the defense really let them down . Andrew Wiggins was scorching hot , as he scored 30 points before fouling out in the final seconds . Ricky Rubio had a nice game as well , as he dished out 15 assists to go along with 10 points . Minnesota has a quick turnaround , as they play the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in their next game . An 11 - game losing streak would have been a franchise record for the Lakers , so there was a bit extra motivation in this matchup . Kobe Bryant was questionable coming in , but he may have had his best game of the season . Not only did he hit a bunch of clutch free - throws late , Bryant finished with a season - high 38 points while also recording five rebounds and five assists in the win . Julius Randle also played well , as he recorded 15 points and 12 rebounds en route to yet another double - double . Up next for the Lakers is a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday .


The San Antonio Spurs ( 46 - 9 ) took care of the Los Angeles Lakers ( 11 - 45 ) in a 119 - 113 win on Friday . The Spurs were embarrassed in their first game out of the All-Star break and bounced back nicely here . Despite allowing the Lakers to score 113 , the Spurs recorded 30 assists and won every significant statistic in this game , including shooting , rebounding , assisting and turnovers . San Antonio 's shooting was especially impressive , as they shot 55 percent from the field , 94 percent from the free - throw line and 50 percent from long distance . This was n't the defensive performance the Spurs are known for , but a win is a win . Tony Parker had a renaissance game , as he scored 25 points and dished out six assists in the win . Tim Duncan also turned back the clock , as he double - doubled in a 12 - point , 13 - rebound outing . Nine players scored at least seven points for the Spurs , with the bench accumulating 50 points of their own . Up next for San Antonio is a date with the Phoenix Suns on Sunday . The Lakers have been dreadful all season , but they continue to play the Spurs tough . This is the third - straight time that these two teams have gone down to the final minutes and it 's a wonder why . Kobe Bryant showed up big time in this game , as he scored 25 points in the loss . Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson also played well , as they each scored 20 - plus points while combining for 41 in total . Julius Randle double - doubled in the loss , as he amassed 11 points and 15 rebounds as well . On deck is a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday .


The Memphis Grizzlies ( 34 - 23 ) blew out the host Los Angeles Lakers ( 11 - 48 ) 112 - 95 on Friday . There were times when this game was close , but certainly not late . The Grizzlies carried a 17 - point lead into halftime and got into garbage time before the fourth quarter began . Every statistic was extremely uneven , as Memphis dominated in every facet . The Grizzlies outrebounded the Lakers 47 - 38 , outshot them 51 percent to 41 percent and outassisted them 24 - 14 . The Grizzlies actually would have outscored the Lakers in every quarter as well if the Lakers did n't bury a meaningless three with seconds left . Memphis has been playing great ball as of late and they did n't let down here . P.J . Hariston led the team with 21 points , while playing 30 minutes in the victory Vince Carter played a bunch of garbage time and scored 19 points in a renaissance performance . Zach Randolph played just 25 minutes , but totaled 15 points , 10 rebounds and five assists in the win . Lance Stephenson continued to thrive for his new team , as he accumulated 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench . Up next for Memphis is another favorable matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday . Garbage time has become far too common for this Lakers team , but it does allow the youngsters to play more and develop . D'Angelo Russell continued to start and put up a team - high 22 points in the loss . Julius Randle was the only other player who played well , as he totaled 17 points and seven rebounds in the defeat . Only one other player scored in double figures , as the Lakers had to play this game without Kobe Bryant who is recovering from a shoulder injury . Los Angeles gets a few days off until their next game , when it plays host to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 12 - 49 ) defeated the Brooklyn Nets ( 17 - 44 ) 107 - 101 at Staples Center on Tuesday . The matchup between two of the bottom three teams in the NBA featured an explosive performance from rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell , who scored a career high 39 points to lead the Lakers . Russell flashed his ability to score in volume , in addition to proving that he has the intangibles to see plays develop before they happen . In short , this was the type of game that Lakers fans have been waiting for . The rookie added six rebounds and three assists on 14 - of - 21 shooting , including eight buckets from behind the arc in 35 minutes . Two youthful counterparts , Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson , aided Russell in the contest , as Randle contributed his 24th double - double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds , and Clarkson added 16 points , seven rebounds and seven assists . Roy Hibbert played strong in the paint and contained his matchup with Brook Lopez to a tolerable amount of points . The Los Angeles center totaled 14 points on an efficient 7 - of - 9 shooting . Clarkson 's running layup with 1:28 left in the fourth quarter was all that was needed for the Lakers to close out the game after extending the lead to three points , as the rest of the team finished strong from the charity stripe , including Brandon Bass , who made two big defensive stop with under one minute remaining to hold off the Nets . Brooklyn was outplayed in the first half , and once Russell caught fire , they had no answer in stopping him . All five Nets starters finished in double figures , lead by Lopez 's 23 points , but after fouling out the game , the Lakers had a crucial size advantage in the paint . Thaddeus Young totaled 19 points , 15 rebounds , two assists , a steal and a block , while Bojan Bogdanovich added 18 points , seven rebounds and three assists . The Nets , as a whole , rounded out the box score from the starters , but were inefficient in shooting . Brooklyn shot 5 - of - 18 from behind the arc , granted it is not their strong suit , multiple missed open opportunities proved to be vital down the stretch . Both benches were quiet in the game , as neither team found a player registering in double figures or finding strength off the glass . The Denver Nuggets ( 23 - 37 ) will welcome both teams in each of their next scheduled games , as the Lakers will play the second game of a back - to - back on Wednesday , and the Nets will play on Friday .


The Atlanta Hawks ( 34 - 28 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 12 - 51 ) 106 - 77 on Friday . In what looked like a lopsided matchup on paper , proved to be one on the court . Atlanta used their defense to pull out the win , as they held the Lakers to 77 points on 34 percent shooting . The fastbreak differential was huge as well , with the Hawks getting 27 fastbreak points to the Lakers two . Despite barely clearing 100 points , Atlanta shot 54 percent from the field in the victory . Atlanta has been one of the best defenses in the league over recent weeks and absolutely shut down the Lakers in this game . No Hawks player played particularly well , but they got some great performances from their bench . Dennis Schroeder led the team with 16 points off the bench and Kris Humphries nearly double - doubled in his Atlanta debut . Kyle Korver was extremely efficient , as he scored 15 points , while going 5 - for - 6 from the field . It 's a good thing the starters got a nice rest here , as they play again on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers . Los Angeles has been playing more competitively recently , but this was a downright ugly performance . They were without Kobe Bryant , Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson though , so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt . D'Angelo Russell really struggled , as he went 3 - for - 16 from the field after averaging nearly 27 points a game across his last four games . Julius Randle was the only Laker who played well , as he double - doubled in a 16 - point , 10 - rebound game . On deck for the Lakers is a nightmare matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 13 - 51 ) upset the league - leading Golden State Warriors ( 55 - 6 ) on Sunday , 112 - 95 . The difference between LA 's .190 and Golden State 's .911 win percentages was the largest in NBA history headed into Sunday 's matchup . Seven Lakers reached double digits in scoring , with the young backcourt duo of sophomore Jordan Clarkson and rookie D'Angelo Russell combining for 46 points . Russell , less than a week removed from his career - high 39 points on Tuesday , scored 21 while dishing out five assists . The rookie was also a pest on the defensive end , grabbing four steals . European rookie Marcelo Huertas led the team with nine assists off the bench , giving fire to the second unit in the stunning upset . Coach Byron Scott said Huertas was `` probably [ the team 's ] MVP `` when asked for comment on the rookie 's impressive showing.The Lakers smoked Golden State in terms of shooting , hitting nine three - pointers to the Warrior 's four , and shooting an efficient 47 percent from the field . Though LA maintains the league 's second - worst record , they were able to expose the Warriors , dealing them their sixth and second - largest loss of the season . Normally the best three - point shooting team in the league , Golden State hit just four from deep in Los Angeles . After one of the most impressive individual weeks in recent memory last week , Steph Curry went just 1 - for - 10 from three - point land on Sunday . Curry was one of just two Warriors to reach double digit scoring , as seemingly nothing would fall for the NBA 's top team . Turnovers also presented an issue , as the team coughed the ball up 20 times as a whole . Seven of those turnovers came from first - time All-Star Draymond Green , who also failed to prevent sophomore Julius Randle from crashing the board 14 times by the day 's end . Golden State will now need a record of at least 18 - 3 to finish the season in order to be in sole possession of the best single season in NBA history . The Warriors will hope for a comeback on Monday when they host the Orlando Magic . The Lakers will host the Magic the next day .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 14 - 51 ) defeated the Orlando Magic ( 27 - 36 ) 107 - 98 at Staples Center on Tuesday . The Lakers earned back - to - back home wins for the first time all season , as the starting trio of Julius Randle , Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell all eclipsed the 20 - plus point mark . With Kobe Bryant ( shoulder ) sidelined , the focus was once again on the rookies and sophomores to lead Los Angeles , and as the season has progressed , the young talent is showing signs of development . Save for the first quarter , where the Magic quickly got out to 90 run , the Lakers assisted and rebounded in stronger fashion , and dominated the third quarter , where they were able to put the game away after posting 39 points . Julius Randle finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds , which completed his 28th double - double of the season , and shot 9 - of - 16 from the field in 30 minutes . Jordan Clarkson flexed some range in the second half on his way 24 points on 9 - of - 17 shooting , including five treys , to go along with five boards and three dimes . D'Angelo Russell led all scorers with 27 points on 11 - of - 19 shooting to continue his hot run of form . The Magic showcased the talent they possess as well , it just was not enough to keep pace with the Lakers game plan . Aaron Gordon may have only finished with five points in the contest , but two of those points came on a dunk of the year candidate , as Gordon channeled his inner Dominique Wilkins for a windmill jam . In terms of the box score , Victor Oladipo led his team , which is beginning to become a theme for the Magic in close games , as he finished with 26 points , four rebounds and two assists on 10 - of - 17 shooting in 35 minutes . Evan Fournier turned in an impressive shooting performance and scored 23 points on 11 shots in just under 40 minutes . The Orlando bench was uneventful , save for C.J . Watson 's 10 points in 25 minutes , as Scott Skiles put the minutes burden on the starters . The Lakers will welcome LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 44 - 18 ) on Thursday , while the Magic head north to face the Sacramento Kings ( 25 - 37 ) on Friday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 46 - 18 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 14 - 52 ) 120 - 108 at Staples Center on Thursday . Any other year , this meeting between the Eastern Conference 's best team and the Western Conference 's worst team would not make for a premier event , but given that it was the final time Kobe Bryant would face off against LeBron James , the night had some magic to it . Bryant and James have been the sole two players who have been highlighted in the past nine NBA Finals , but they never faced off the league 's biggest stage at the same time . The Black Mamba was not afraid of the competition , and turned back the clock with his most efficient shooting performance on the season , as he scored 26 points on 11 - of - 16 shooting in 32 minutes . The passing of the torch is not far away , and D'Angelo Russell has shown improvement over the course of the torrid season for Los Angeles , as he continued to select good shots throughout the matchup . Russell scored 24 points , to go along with four rebounds and five assists , which made up for Jordan Clarkson 's first off night in some time after scoring a lowly five points on 2 - of - 12 shooting . Julius Randle looked good with his right hand , especially driving in the lane , and pitched in 15 points and nine boards . The Cavaliers did not pull away until the second half , but once their engine got moving , the Lakers were left in the dust of a double figure lead for a while . The box score reflects six Cavs scoring in double figures , led by Kyrie Irving 's 26 points . The Duke product added two rebounds and nine assists on 11 - of - 20 shooting , while King James added 24 points , five boards and seven assists . J.R. Smith is finding a rhythm over his last week and buried four three - pointers in the contest , to go along with an off the backboard assist to James that had even the Lakers fans out of their seats . Channing Frye contributed a shooting clinic , and seemed unable to miss throughout the entirety of the game , which was reflected by his 21 points on 80 percent shooting . Tristan Thompson took care of business on the rebounding end , keeping most of the Lakers bigs boxed out . The Lakers will welcome Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks ( 27 - 39 ) on Sunday , while the Cavaliers will play the same day , in the same arena , against the Los Angeles Clippers ( 41 - 22 ) .


The New York Knicks ( 28 - 40 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 14 - 53 ) 90 - 87 on Sunday . The game was largely a tale of two halves , with New York dominating the first two quarters despite missing two starters on offense , and jumping out to a 46 - 35 lead by intermission . However , the Lakers battled back through the final two periods , and the two teams found themselves knotted at 87 with 29 seconds left . Neither club could find a way to break the tie over the ensuing 28 ticks of the clock , with Kobe Bryant failing to hit a 12 - foot jumper for the Lakers after a 19 - second possession . Carmelo Anthony hauled in the defensive rebound off the missed shot , and following a Knicks timeout , Jose Calderon sealed the victory with a clutch 26 - foot three - point jumper with less than a second remaining . Anthony led the way for the Knicks with a 26 - point , 12 - rebound double - double , to which he added four assists and a block . Robin Lopez contributed 16 points , eight boards , two assists and two blocks . Derrick Williams , getting a spot start in place of the sidelined Kristaps Porzingis ( illness ) , filled out the stat sheet with eight points , nine rebounds , an assist , two steals and a block . Calderon finished with nine points , six assists , three rebounds and a steal . The Knicks remain in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division , and are seven games back of the eighth - seeded Detroit Pistons . They continue their West Coast swing with a trip to Golden State to face the Warriors on Wednesday night . Bryant spearheaded a pedestrian Lakers attack , tallying 14 points , two rebounds and a steal . Jordan Clarkson was the only other member of the starting five to manage double - digit scoring , recording 12 points , three rebounds , two assists and three steals . D'Angelo Russell notably turned in one of his worst efforts as a starter , posting only four points , two rebounds , two assists and a steal over 22 minutes . Lou Williams paced the reserves after a five - game absence , supplying 15 points , five assists , a rebound and a steal . The Lakers remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They 're home again against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night .


The Sacramento Kings ( 26 - 41 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 14 - 54 ) 106 - 98 at Staples Center on Tuesday . The Kings snapped a five game losing streak with a relatively easy win in Los Angeles behind DeMarcus Cousins , Rudy Gay and Darren Collison . Cousins was responsible for the dagger three pointer with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter , after the Lakers trimmed an almost game long double figure lead to seven points . It was Cousins ' only attempt from behind the arc , but he made every bit of it count to put the game away . The Kentucky product finished with 22 points , eight rebounds , three assists and a beastly four blocks . Gay and Collison combined for 42 points on 19 - of - 30 shooting , proving that when the Kings shooters are efficient , or simply in a rhythm , they can close out games . Rajon Rondo dished out 12 assists , while Omri Casspi led the bench in scoring with 11 points , but failed to make a three pointer . The Kings will play the second game of a back - to - back when they return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans ( 24 - 42 ) on Wednesday . The Lakers were without Kobe Bryant ( shoulder ) and Brandon Bass ( eye ) , but the missing two pieces were not entirely to blame for the lopsided game early on . Los Angeles was unable to get into any sort of rhythm out the gate , and fell behind in the first quarter 32 - 15 and only registered four points through the first six minutes of action . The young Lakers trio seemed to have cooled down after stringing together an improved set of games . D'Angelo Russell scored 14 points , to go along with three rebounds , three assists and four steals , while Jordan Clarkson added 12 points on 5 - of - 16 shooting . Julius Randle went for his 29th double - double of the season after scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds . Lou Williams and Larry Nance Jr were spark plugs off the bench and combined for 29 points while trying to make up for the brutal first half . The Lakers will look to bounce back when they host the Phoenix Suns ( 18 - 49 ) on Friday .


The Phoenix Suns ( 19 - 50 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 14 - 55 ) 95 - 90 on Friday . In a battle between the two bottom teams in the west , the better team prevailed . The shooting was terrible from both teams , as they both shot 36 percent from the field . The difference for the suns was the play of their starters , as they outscored the Lakers starters 80 - 31 . In fact , no Lakers starter scored in double figures for the first time in over a decade . This now gives Phoenix their fourth win in their last eight games , Brandon Knight led the team with 22 points , while also providing six rebounds and three assists . Rookie Devin Booker continued his strong play , as he tallied 21 points , five rebounds and seven assists . Tyson Chandler did a great job of controlling the boards , as he snatched down 17 rebounds to go along with 12 points . The Suns next game wo n't be until Monday , when they host the struggling Memphis Grizzlies . Los Angeles looked terrible through three quarters , but the reserves came in and brought them back in the fourth . In fact , they outscored the Suns by nine in a 36 - point fourth quarter , after scoring just 54 points in the first three quarters combined . Lou Williams was the only Laker who played well , as he scored 30 points off the bench . The only other notable stat line was Marcelo Huertas , who dished out 10 assists off the bench . Los Angeles ' next game comes on Tuesday , when they also host the Memphis Grizzlies .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 15 - 55 ) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies ( 41 - 31 ) at Staples Center on Tuesday , 107 - 100 . Jordan Clarkson played the hero roll in the Lakers win after intercepting two passes with under one minute left in regulation to stave off the Grizzlies . Both teams clawed at each others lead throughout each quarter , but the Lakers had the edge heading into the half and played well enough offensively to make up for some rough defensive breakdowns and miscues in the fourth quarter . Clarkson found himself in the right place at the right time to pick off the passes that iced the game for Los Angeles , but also caused an 8 - second violation a few possessions prior that gave Memphis another opportunity to come back . Metta World Peace was ejected quickly after checking into the game for arguing calls with the ref , and D'Angelo Russell left the game with a bruised left shin . Early reports suggest that Russell will be questionable against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday . Despite the ejection and minor injury , the Lakers battled to their 15th win . Kobe Bryant was effective in the second half , where he scored 17 of his 20 points , and Clarkson 's wise shot selection was good for 22 points , to go along with five rebounds and one assist . Brandon Bass and Marcelo Huertas hooked up for a late alley - oop that extended the Lakers lead to seven points . Bass finished with 18 points and six boards , while Huertas added four points and seven assists . The banged up Grizzlies are still hanging on to the 5 - seed in the Western Conference , but the loss comes on the second game of a back - to - back , which has been a common theme for the Grizzlies road losses this season . Tony Allen put on a shooting clinic , as he scored 27 points on a perfect 12 - of - 12 shooting . Zach Randolph failed to be his dominant self on the glass , and only brought down six total boards , in addition to 16 points . Lance Stephenson continues to impress with his newest team and added 16 points , six rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes off the bench . The Lakers will visit the Phoenix Suns ( 19 - 51 ) on Wednesday , while the Grizzlies travel to Texas to take on the San Antonio Spurs ( 59 - 11 ) on Friday .


The Denver Nuggets ( 31 - 42 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 15 - 57 ) 116 - 105 on Friday . The form of these teams would indicate a result like this , but it happened in strange fashion . The second quarter is when things really changed , as vender outscored Los Angeles 34 to 15 . The bench was key for the Nuggets , as they got 71 points , 24 rebounds and 18 assists from their five bench players . The Nuggets have been dominant in Los Angeles over recent years and that continued here . The top - three scorers all came off the bench , with D.J . Augustin leading the team with 20 points and eight assists . Jusuf Nurkic was also great off the bench , as he tallied 18 points , four rebounds and five assists of his own . Nine players scored at least eight points for Denver , so it was a great all - around team effort . On deck for the Nuggets is a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday . Los Angeles continues to struggle and the Kobe Bryant tour is coming to an end . Bryant was spectacular in this game though , as he scored a game - high 28 points . Julius Randle was also great , as he recorded his first career triple - double in a 13 - point , 18 - rebound , 10 - assist outing . Jordan Clarkson was the only other notable line , as he scored 20 points . The Lakers will host the Washington Wizards on Sunday in their next game .


The Washington Wizards ( 36 - 37 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 15 - 58 ) 101 - 88 at Staples Center on Sunday . Washington ended a short , but important two game losing skid with an easy victory on the road , and are now 3 games back of the Detroit Pistons for the 8 - seed in the Eastern Conference . The Wizards played at a high speed pace , led by John Wall , who diced through the Lakers defense and took advantage of his matchup with D'Angelo Russell . Wall 's 22 points , 13 assists and five rebounds overshadowed his seven turnovers , which proved to be a non - issue seeing the double digit lead his team held for most of the game . The former No . 1 overall pick ran impressive sets with Marcin Gortat , who was on the receiving end of multiple flashy dimes , and turned in 16 points and 10 rebounds . The Lakers got into early foul trouble and ended up with a total of 26 team fouls , but the Wizards shot a poor 16 - of - 29 from the free throw line . Given the amount of times that Los Angeles put Washington on the line , the 13 points loss could well have been a 20 - plus point blowout . D'Angelo Russell was no match defending Wall from getting to the rim , but he did equal his opponents scoring with 22 points of his own . Kobe Bryant has a handful of games left in his career , and the wear and tear of his 20th season reared it 's head a few times during the game . Bryant finished with 17 points , one rebound and two assists on 6 - of - 15 shooting , but also looked sloppy handling the ball at times , which he even recognized after checking himself out of the game . The Lakers will visit the Utah Jazz ( 36 - 37 ) on Monday , while the Wizards will head north to take on the Golden State Warriors ( 66 - 7 ) .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 16 - 59 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 43 - 31 ) in overtime , 102 - 100 , at Staples Center on Wednesday . Julius Randle , alongside the Lakers youth , led the charge with an impressive all around performance against the Heat . Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade faced off for the last time , and the Staples Center energy was alive and well given the improvement Randle and D'Angelo Russell have shown through the past few week . Wade still has the clutch gene , and with 23 seconds left in overtime , he drove the lane and finished at the rim to tie the game at 100 points a piece , but Randle took what the defense gave him and showed off a filthy crossover - spin move combo , which led to the game winning floater with 2 seconds on the clock . D'Angelo Russell may be dealing with some disturbances in the locker room , but he was instrumental in the overtime period , as he scored on back - to - back possessions , even with the Miami Heat clawing back and finding a way to answer the Lakers surge . Kobe Bryant exited the game before the end of the first half and it was listed as general soreness . Jordan Clarkson led all scorers and provided needed free throws in the fourth quarter . The sophomore guard finished with 26 points , six rebounds and one assist , while Julius Randle added his 33rd double - double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds . Wade matched Clarkson 's 26 points , and added 10 rebounds and five assists to round out the box score , but it was Hassan Whiteside 's monstrous 18 points , 17 rebounds and seven blocks that stuck out the most . The Heat were thin in terms of the roster , and Whiteside technically came off the bench even though he registered 38 minutes of action . Luol Deng looked to bust out of his scoring slump , and provided 22 points and 11 rebounds in the loss , although the veteran is averaging his lowest point total since his rookie year . The Heat will head north and face the Sacramento Kings ( 30 - 45 ) on Friday , while the Lakers will enjoy a few days off before hosting the Boston Celtics ( 43 - 31 ) on Sunday .


The Boston Celtics ( 45 - 32 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 16 - 60 ) 107 - 100 at Staples Center on Sunday . Kobe Bryant made sure to save enough in the tank to give the Lakers long time rivals a run for their money . Fresh off their thrilling upset against the Golden State Warriors , the Celtics rallied behind Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder . Evan Turner got the nod at shooting guard in place of Avery Bradley ( personal reasons ) and provided efficiency in the backcourt and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch . As the Celtics looked to rip off scoring runs , Bryant kept the Lakers within striking distance , as he finished with 34 points , four rebounds , one assist and three steals on 11 - of - 28 shooting . The 20 - year veteran had a chance to close the gap after two Even Turner free throws , but the ball rattled in and out and Boston grabbed the rebound to put away the game . Thomas scored 26 points on 10 - of - 20 shooting , to go along with two rebounds and six assists , while Crowder contributed 22 points , five rebounds and five steals . Jae Crowder was tremendous on the defensive end of the floor and a needed piece in Brad Stevens ' rotations , especially with the Celtics closing in on the 3 - seed for the Eastern Conference . Turner exited the game with under one minute to play in the fourth quarter after what appeared to be an unintentional hit to the face/eye , but still added 17 points , four boards and four dimes in 35 minutes . Julius Randle turned in another double - double with 20 points and 10 rebounds , which helped the struggling back court for Los Angeles . Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell combined for 25 points on 10 - of - 30 shooting , as both guards shot selection was iffy at best . Neither team shot the three pointer effectively , but the Celtics were able to showcase strong ball movement and selfless basketball , which was reflected by their 30 assists as a unit . The Lakers will technically play a road game against the Los Angeles Clippers ( 48 - 28 ) on Tuesday , while the Celtics return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans ( 29 - 47 ) on Wednesday .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 50 - 28 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 16 - 61 ) 91 - 81 at Staples Center on Wednesday . The Clippers handed the Lakers their 11th straight loss to their hometown rivals and earned their 50th win of the season . Doc Rivers opted to rest Wesley Johnson , Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers with the playoffs around the corner , but also got a slight scare when Jeff Green exited the game with a right knee contusion , initial reports suggest he will be available for the Clippers next game on Friday . The Staples Center was electric as it was Kobe Bryant 's second to last home game . The 20 year veteran shot more efficiently from the field as compared to Tuesday 's performance against the same Clippers squad , and finished with 17 points on 6 - of - 19 shooting . Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell also bounced back a bit , and combined for 26 points on 10 - of - 28 shooting . When the backcourt duo clicks , it provides the Lakers with enough offense to contend against the bottom half opponents in the league , but the Clippers proved too much to handle throughout the all four quarters . Four Clippers starters finished in low double figures , but the best sign came from Blake Griffin , who looked more like his usual self with 13 points , eight rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes . Chris Paul rounded out the box score with 13 points also , in addition to five rebounds and eight assists . The bench saw increased minutes , and everyone got their fair share of touches , as they made up for a third of the team 's scoring . Both teams play on Friday , as the Clippers visit the Utah Jazz ( 39 - 39 ) , while the Lakers visit the New Orleans Pelicans ( 29 - 49 ) .


Kobe Bryant scored 60 points as the Los Angeles Lakers ( 17 - 65 ) beat the Utah Jazz ( 40 - 42 ) in his farewell game , 101 - 96 . Bryant , who plans to retire after 20 NBA seasons , took a career - high 50 shots , making 22 field goals . He scored 38 in the second half as the Lakers overcame a 15 - point halftime deficit . The Lakers ' defense , which struggled all season , was surprsingly the key to the comeback , as it held the Jazz to just 39 points in the second half . The third - leading scorer in NBA history , Bryant became the oldest player to score 50 points in a game as he posted the fifth - highest scoring game of his career . Trey Lyles led the Jazz with 18 points , 11 rebounds and five steals . Gordon Hayward , who finished with 17 points , had the unfortunate task of covering Bryant . The Jazz were eliminated from the playoffs just before tip - off when the Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings , the fourth consecutive season Utah has missed the playoffs . It marks the Jazz 's longest playoff drought since 1980 - 83 . With 12 points Jordan Clarkson was the only other player in double figures for the Lakers , who have missed the playoffs a franchise - high three straight seasons .


The Wizards eaked out a tight road win to begin the season over the Magic , behind Bradley Beal 's game high 24 points . The closely - contested game consisted of 11 lead changes and six ties . Tobias Harris had a running field goal attempt with 4 seconds left that hung on the rim and appeared to be goaltended by Marcin Gortat , which would have given the Magic a one - point lead . However , following review , Gortat was determined to have legally touched the ball . Nikola Vucevic then bricked a mid - range jumper at the buzzer . Washington was led by John Wall who put up 22 points , seven rebounds , six assists , three steals , and an eye - popping five blocks . The Wizards will head into Milwaukee Friday night and look to open the season 20 . Orlando stuck with the NBA 's current small ball lineup trend by starting Evan Fournier at the small forward . This allowed Aaron Gordon to ease his way in to his sophomore season by coming off the bench . Victor Oladipo led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds , while Elfrid Payton neared a triple - double with 11 points , 10 rebounds , and 8 assists . The Thunder come into Orlando Friday night where the Magic will try and get their first win of the season .


In one of the most exciting games of the first week of the NBA season , the Thunder ( 20 ) were able to overcome an 18 - point deficit heading into the fourth quarter before eventually dispatching the Orlando Magic ( 0 - 2 ) in double overtime Friday by a score of 139 - 136 . In an offense - laden affair , the Magic stormed to an early lead by shooting over 50 percent from the field through the first three quarters , but they faded late in the contest while the Thunder gained steam . Four players finished with 20 - plus points for the Magic , with Victor Oladipo 's triple double ( 21 points , 13 rebounds , 10 assists in 51 minutes ) representing the most well - rounded stat line of the quartet . Oladipo also kept the Magic alive when all hope seemed lost , nailing a game - tying three - pointer as the first overtime period expired . Along with Oladipo , Nikola Vucevic , Tobias Harris , and Evan Fournier were the others who surpassed 20 points . Vucevic keyed the Magic 's early success , nailing his first nine shots before finishing the night with 26 points on a 10 - for - 14 mark from the field , while Harris accumulated 30 points and nine rebounds . Fournier finished with 22 points on 8 - for - 21 shooting . As per usual , the Thunder 's two stars , Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook , were the driving forces behind the team 's comeback win , as the duo combined for 91 of the team 's 139 points . It marked the first time since March 2012 that both players tallied more than 40 points in the same game . Durant was the steadier of the two from the field for much of the contest and churned out 43 points and 12 boards , but seemed to lose steam offensively down the stretch while playing a game - high 54 minutes . However , he found enough within himself to hold off a last - ditch effort by the Magic in double overtime , blocking two shots in the final three seconds . Westbrook , meanwhile , shook off some early shooting woes to lead all scorers with 48 points to go along with 11 rebounds and eight assists . Westbrook caught fire in the fourth quarter and the two overtime periods , most notably banking in a three - pointer in the waning seconds that sent the contest to the extra period . Oklahoma City will likely skip practice Saturday and return home for its next game Sunday against the Denver Nuggets , while the Magic will look to notch their first win Sunday in Chicago versus the Bulls .