The Lakers are back home to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game between two of the worsts teams in the NBA. The Lakers are coming of an embarrassing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and are looking to get back on track with a win against the struggling Cavs. Pau Gasol was a game time decision and was able to suit up, but it looks like Xavier Henry will be out at least one more week.
First Quarter
The Lakers started the game with too many turnovers and gave the early lead to the Cavs. Cleveland was able to maintain its lead by aggressively attacking the glass and getting second chance opportunities. The newly acquired Luol Deng led the Cavs with nine points, three rebounds, and two assists. Gasol and Nick Young chipped in with six points each, but the Lakers were down 28-23 at the end of the first.
Second Quarter
The Lakers came out in the second quarter and hit some tough outside shots to keep the deficit close. The combination of Jodie Meeks and Young gave the Lakers a 9-0 run and the Lakers took the lead for the first time in the second quarter, 41-38. The Cavs were led by Deng and Anderson Varejao, who combined for 21 points and 10 rebounds. Young and Meeks scored a combined 34 points and the Lakers took a 63-57 lead into halftime. After only scoring 23 points in the first quarter, the Lakers exploded for 40 points and shot 13 for 17.
Third Quarter
The Lakers came out a bit flat in the third quarter and quickly relinquished the lead. The Cavs completely dominated the offensive glass. At one point, the Lakers were down by double digits, but were able to get it back to single digits by the end of the quarter. At the end of the third, Varejao controlled the paint and had 16 points and 15 rebounds. Meeks led the way with 23 and Young was not far behind with 19, but the Lakers closed the third trailing 88-85.
Fourth Quarter
More of the same in the fourth quarter for the Lakers. They continued to struggle defending the glass and the Lakers gave the game away to one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Cavs got hot beyond the arc and used a 12-0 run to grab an eight point lead midway through the fourth. The game started to get out of hand as it winded down and could not cut the Cavs lead. In the final minutes of the game, Lakers made a run and cut the deficit to three points. Unfortunately, Young could not convert on a wide-open opportunity.
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