The Los Angeles Lakers blew a second half lead Sunday night in Sacramento and were unable to put away the Kings on the road. Los Angeles played a stellar third quarter and even held a comfortable lead late in the game thanks to some solid shooting by Nick Young off the bench. However, the Kings responded very well and eventually stole the victory from the Lakers, 108-101.
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Kobe Bryant had a horrible game on both ends of the court and the guard ended the night with a plus/minus of -17. Bryant scored 25 points, but he did it on 8-for-30 shooting while also committing nine turnovers. As for Young, he beat Kobe in the box score with 26 points, but only needed to take 14 shots to get there.
After the game, Jeremy Lin spoke to the media and referenced the team’s win over the San Antonio Spurs as its blueprint to success via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters. During that game, the Lakers were playing true team basketball and the balance on offense kept the Spurs on their heels:
Jeremy Lin (on TWC): “We saw what we’re capable of in that San Antonio game. [That] should be our blueprint.”
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 22, 2014
The Lakers pulled off an impressive 112-110 win in overtime back on Dec. 12 thanks to a last second three by Young. As a team, the Lakers shot close to 46 percent from the field and tallied up 26 assists, compared to just 14 in Sacramento. In addition, the Lakers had six players in double-digits versus the Spurs, while on Sunday night they managed to have just three.
Los Angeles now stands at 8-19 and is digging a larger hole in the Western Conference. With the New Years approaching, the Lakers will be looking to close out 2014 on a high note, but the road does not get any easier. The Lakers will be back on the court Tuesday night when they go back to Los Angeles to play the best team in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors.
[divide]Lakers Byron Scott On Kobe Bryant’s Fatigue, Nick Young Ejection