76ers at Lakers
Three days after ending a long skid and two after introducing a new general manager, there is a rare sense of optimism surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers, who host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. The Lakers had dropped a season high-tying eight in a row prior to Thursday's 122-110 victory at Phoenix, and then they had GM Rob Pelinka produce some positive vibes in his opening press conference the following day.
"We are going to deliver on (team president Jeanie Buss's) challenge to us all to make the Lakers the greatest sports franchise in the world," Pelinka told reporters. "That will happen." It won't happen overnight, but Los Angeles has a great opportunity to put together consecutive wins for the first time since a two-game run more than two months ago. The 76ers put up a fight in the first half of their Staples Center double dip before falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 112-100 on Saturday. Reserve forward Richaun Holmes broke out for a career-high 24 points in the loss.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (23-42): Philadelphia has lost four straight contests and seven of its last eight to fall to 8-23 on the road, but it showed some fight Saturday afternoon. "We competed, I thought, at a high standard," coach Brett Brown told reporters. "We were ahead at halftime. We were ahead going into the fourth period. We stuck with a nine-man rotation and I thought our guys fought to the end." Rookie Dario Saric chipped in 16 points and has scored in double figures in 15 consecutive games.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (20-45): There is no denying that Pelinka has a talented young core around which to work, and the centerpiece is 21-year-old guard D'Angelo Russell, who scored 28 points while drilling 6-of-9 3-pointers at Phoenix. Third-year pro Jordan Clarkson added 19 points off the bench and 19-year-old Brandon Ingram recorded 14 and six rebounds. "There was definitely a focus at shoot-around today," coach Luke Walton told reporters. "It was pretty obvious and we talked about it as a group, that they looked locked in. I was expecting the guys to come out and give the effort that they did, honestly."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lakers PF Julius Randle registered 25 points and nine rebounds in a 100-89 win at Philadelphia earlier this season.
2. Sixers C Jahlil Okafor is averaging 15 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes over two games since returning from a knee issue.
3. The Lakers have dropped five straight at home.