The Lakers went with a new, untraditional starting lineup, but it didn’t provide
different results for a team that has now lost five straight games.
The purple and gold fell into a 19-3 hole to begin the game against the LA
Clippers, who went on to capture a 121-106 victory.
Brandon Ingram throws down the one-handed jam #NBAVote (: @SpectrumSN &
@spectdeportes) pic.twitter.com/x4gByI741W
The Lakers (15-19) moved Ingram from his usual small forward position to
starting point guard. They also started Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Josh Hart,
Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle.
Head coach Luke Walton was unsure if he will continue to open games with that
unit, but its maiden voyage saw the Clippers (15-19) lead by 13 at the end fo
the first quarter.
“I just don’t think we were ready, for whatever reason, to engage in the fight,”
Walton said.
The Lakers actually shot a slightly better percentage than their across-the-hall
foes, but couldn’t match their production from the 3-point and free throw lines.
The Clippers made nine more triples and 17 more foul shots. Blake Griffin led
them with 24 points and 11 free throws, while Lou Williams shot just 4-of-14
from the field yet scored 23 points thanks to 13 at the charity stripe.
“We didn’t play any defense,” Walton said. “… First half, they moved the ball
freely wherever they wanted. We have to get back to taking pride in being a
defensive team first.”
Unfortunately for Walton and his team, defensive struggles have hit the Lakers
hard recently.
In their last three games — all without injured point guard Lonzo Ball (a
reliable defender) and center Brook Lopez (who contests the most shots in the
NBA) — the Lakers have allowed 117 points per game — eight more than their
previous season average.
“We just didn’t compete on the defensive end,” Ingram said. “That’s kind of been
the story these past three games.”
Julius Randle on the attack #LakeShow #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/NPAHPOJNDa
Notes Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers with 20 points and eight assists. … The
Lakers scored 70 points in the paint. … DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 16
rebounds for the Clippers. … A crowd of 18,997 sold out STAPLES Center.
A post shared by Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) on Dec 29, 2017 at 9:34pm PST
Player: Brandon Ingram
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