Lakers at Thunder
The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from an embarrassing loss by leaning on Brook Lopez in a 102-99 win at the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, improving them to 2-2 on the five-game road trip. The Lakers will try to head home with a winning trip when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finale on Sunday.
Los Angeles allowed an average of 125 points in losses at Toronto and Orlando after beginning the trip with a 108-103 triumph over the Chicago Bulls, and the 127-105 loss to the lowly Magic on Wednesday was particularly concerning. The Lakers turned in a stronger effort on the defensive end in Brooklyn, particularly in the fourth quarter, and dominated the glass to avoid a third straight setback. The Thunder provide a different set of challenges and should be highly motivated after watching their losing streak reach three in a row with a 114-100 home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. "We have to be better than that," Oklahoma City All-Star forward Paul George told reporters after Friday's loss, which marked the end of a stretch of five games in seven nights. "There's no excuse. Every team has a schedule like ours."
TV: 2 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE LAKERS (20-31): Lopez found himself on the bench during the fourth quarter in the majority of Los Angeles games over the last month as the team continued a trend toward younger players, but the team leaned on him down the stretch Friday. Playing against a franchise with which he spent the first nine years of his career, Lopez scored 19 points and logged over five minutes of playing time in the fourth quarter. "It was great," Lopez, who received a video tribute between the first and second quarters, told reporters. "It was such an awesome moment. That's the kind of stuff you dream about as a kid, and to see that kind of support from both Laker fans and Nets fans, it's really awe inspiring."
ABOUT THE THUNDER (30-23): Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and George combined to go 17-of-54 from the field in Friday's setback, but George doesn't see offense as the team's biggest issue. "Offensively we got good looks," George told reporters. "We got great shots. We just couldn't make shots. That was the game. We got the looks we wanted. We just couldn't knock them down tonight. Defensively is where we have to get a little stronger. We were struggling on that end." Westbrook is shooting 36.7 percent from the floor in the last four contests but is averaging 14.8 assists in that span.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lakers SF Brandon Ingram (groin tightness) is questionable for Sunday.
2. Thunder C Steven Adams recorded a double-double in nine of the last 11 games.
3. Oklahoma City took the first two meetings this season by a total of 61 points.