History was on the menu on Tuesday night at Staples Center, and it came in both good and bad forms for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Houston Rockets.
Without Dwight Howard playing, the Lakers hosting the Rockets lacked most of its luster. Add in that the Lakers were also significantly hobbled, the game itself meant extremely little. However, history was made.
First, the Lakers provided their fans and fans of the sport with a reason to cheer. Entering the night, Steve Nash sat on 10,330 assists for his career, only four back of Mark Jackson’s career total of 10,334.
With five assists in the first half, 40-year-old Nash took only 13 minutes to pass Mark Jackson on the all-time list and did not draw out the drama for too long. Truthfully, he could have hit the mark even earlier in the game, but Robert Sacre struggled to convert for his fellow countryman.
Ultimately, the Canadian point guard tied and surpassed Jackson’s mark by targeting the same player: Jodie Meeks. Meeks has been the Lakers’ most consistent player this season, and the 26-year-old had 16 points in the first half.
What was a competitive game in the first half quickly spiraled out of control for the Lakers in the third quarter. Predictably, the Lakers came out flat in the third quarter, and that was that. Before fans could blink, the Lakers were down by 23 points, and the game became academic.
Nash would not step onto the court in the second half, as the game was out of reach and he had already reached the personal milestone. There was no reason for the aging point guard to step onto the court in yet another loss.
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Whereas most losses have been rather meaningless for some time, Tuesday’s loss was historic. The Lakers suffered their 53rd loss of the season, guaranteeing them the worst season in Los Angeles Lakers history. The franchise had one season in Minneapolis that was worse than the current season, but since arriving in California, the Lakers have never been worse.
With four games remaining, every additional loss this season will only add to the team’s historically bad record.
