The Los Angeles Lakers set a record on Thursday night, but it was nothing to be proud of.
The Lakers lost by 48 points, a franchise record for the worst lost in the storied history of the Lakers. The fact that the loss came at the hands of the cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, only hurt that much more. For the bulk of the game, the Lakers were out-manned, out-played and out-classed. For Lakers fans, this was not a memorable night, but it was an historic night.
The game started with the Lakers jumping out to a seven-point lead and suggesting that they could not only compete with the division leading Clippers, but an upset may even be in the cards. That feeling was fleeting, however, and a horrific second quarter made the remainder of the game academic.
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Trailing 29-27 after the first quarter, the Lakers could not score or play defense in the second period. Over the first eight minutes into the second quarter, the Lakers allowed the Clippers to turn a two-point game into a 25-point blowout.
With 4:01 remaining in the first half, Pau Gasol made only the Lakers’ second basket of the quarter. By the time the halftime intermission came about, the Lakers were down by 33 points and had allowed 73 points in the first 24 minutes.
Relatively speaking, the second half was better, but it was still nothing to write home about for the home team.
After three quarters, the Lakers trailed by 49 points, and only two players on the team were in double figures; at that point, Gasol had 21 points and Xavier Henry had 10 points off the bench. For the Clippers, all five starters had scored in double figures, and the talent gap was as wide as the scoreboard indicated.
Before the final buzzer sounded, the Lakers saw the difference grow to 51 points. Ultimately, the final score would settle at 142-94, the worst loss in franchise history. Previously, the Lakers’ biggest defeat was a 46-point defeat in Portland way back in 1995.
Lakers fans may want to quickly forget Thursday’s loss to the Clippers, but unfortunately, this was a historic night that will likely be remembered for decades to come, or at least until the next time these two teams meet again--Apr. 6.
Quote of the Night:
"They're trying. It's not like they're not trying. You know, when you're a little bit slower than the other team, a lot less athetic, and they just carved us up." - Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni.
Stat of the Night:
The Lakers were out-rebounded 64-33.
