The Lakers have some issues, and it doesn’t just involve Kobe Bryant’s torn left Achilles tendon and Steve Nash’s back.
It also has to do with their attendance.
The Lakers’ sellout streak for regular-season homes ended at 270 when they drew 18,426 people at Staples Center for the team’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans, falling just shy of the capacity of 18,997. When accounting for playoff games, the Lakers had solid out for 320 consecutive contests.
The last time the Lakers failed to sell out at Staples Center happened on Dec. 2006 against New Orleans/Oklahoma City, a time when the purple and gold featured players named Smush Parker and Kwame Brown. This year, the Lakers have lost plenty of star power for reasons including free agency (Dwight Howard), cost-cutting (Metta World Peace) and injuries (Bryant, Nash).
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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com