Lakers at 76ers
The returns of D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young are not stopping the Los Angeles Lakers' slide, which reached eight straight with a loss at lowly Brooklyn on Wednesday. The Lakers will try to avoid a ninth consecutive defeat when they visit the only team lower in the Eastern Conference standings than the Nets - the Philadelphia 76ers - on Friday.
First-year Lakers coach Luke Walton already has doubled the number of losses he saw as interim coach and assistant with the Golden State Warriors last season and is imploring his players to raise their level. "He raised his voice. He got his point across today," Young told reporters of Walton's postgame message to the team after the 107-97 loss in Brooklyn. "Just mentally being soft and calling us out. We got to step up to the plate. I know I'm not soft. My teammates aren't soft, so we got to show him and prove ourselves." The 76ers missed out on their first three-game winning streak when they dropped a 123-114 decision at home against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday but got a look at something they've wanted to try since the beginning of last season when centers Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor started alongside each other. "I thought it was OK," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters of the tandem. "It is a challenge to find responsible matchups, but I thought in general, there were some good things that we saw."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, Spectrum Sportsnet (Los Angeles), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE LAKERS (10-18): Power forward Julius Randle, 22, is 3-of-15 from the field in the first two of a seven-game trip and admitted there was some truth to Walton's harsh message. "We do have to man up. Coach is exactly right, we’ve gotta get back to being us," Randle told reporters. "Got too many guys pouting or whatever it may be, complaining, whatever it is. Things aren’t going our way, not making shots. We just gotta step up." Russell (knee) is 9-of-28 from the floor in three games since returning to the lineup while Young (calf) is 6-of-23 from 3-point range in three games back.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (6-19): Okafor scored 17 points in 30 minutes on Wednesday and Embiid collected nine points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks while serving as more of a power forward when the two were on the court together. "I was trying to do everything I can to make it work," Okafor told reporters. "I know we’ve talked to Coach a lot about playing me and (Embiid) together. Eventually, that day would come, and I’m just trying to do my part to make sure it all works, and we help the team in a positive way." Embiid attempted a season-low six shots but served as a facilitator in the frontcourt.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers C Nerlens Noel (ankle) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.
2. Los Angeles SG Lou Williams is averaging 27.3 points in the last seven games.
3. The teams split the two-game series last season, with Philadelphia earning a 103-91 win at home behind 23 points from Robert Covington.