Unlike James, Morant had help — more than he needed — allowing him to concentrate on the handful of highlight plays he uncorked, such as the two-handed dunk he had to sky for early in the third as Memphis began to pull away. The Lakers closed within single digits in the fourth quarter thanks to a furious comeback started by Wayne Ellington and capped by Austin Reaves, forcing Memphis to put Morant and its other starters back into the game. Davis moved well on the injured leg despite wearing a bulky brace on the knee.
The loss Sunday ended a stretch in which the Lakers had won four straight games, embracing a small-ball style that helped them finally build some rhythm after such a disjointed first half of the year.
After struggling to take advantage of a front-loaded schedule against losing teams or winning ones missing their best players, the Lakers are set to see the other side of that coin with games against the best teams in the NBA awaiting them over the next That stretch includes a lot of travel too, with the Lakers set to play only two more home games this month. More From the Los Angeles Times. Lakers re-sign Sekou Doumbouya to a two-way contract. Will Russell Westbrook ever be happy? If he is, will the Lakers be happy?
All Sections. About Us. B2B Publishing. Business Visionaries. Hot Property. Times Events. San Antonio took an early double-digit lead on the Lakers and comfortably won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. The Spurs' bench outscored the Lakers' reserves We could hardly guard LeBron, but he did his best. Really was a team effort, because I thought some of the bench guys outplayed the starters. Spurs: They also played in the Lakers' final game at the Forum on May 23, Tim Duncan scored 33 points then as San Antonio completed a four-game sweep of Los Angeles in the second round of the postseason.
Popovich was in his third year as coach. Keldon Johnson scored 16 points. Lakers: Interim head coach David Fizdale ran the bench for the second straight game. He said Vogel texts him a list of observations at halftime while watching on television.
Fizdale and assistant coach Phil Handy both got technical fouls for arguing with officials. Davis watched from the bench in a blue sweatsuit while missing his third game.
The oft-injured star won't be reevaluated until late next month. Signs, advertising boards and innumerable smaller details have been changed at the arena to erase the Staples Center name, which has illogical — but undeniable — sentimental meaning to Los Angeles sports fans who have equated the name of an office-supply retail chain with the center of the basketball universe for more than two decades.
The Lakers recognized the attachment and honored the name change with a pregame video highlighting the team's greatest moments in its arena. Fans got a commemorative ticket and a gold T-shirt replicating the first shirt given away by the team at this arena during the playoffs.
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