The Lakers’ Kent Bazemore #6 dunks the ball during their game against the Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 28, 2014. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)

Below are five things to take from the Lakers’ 126-122 victory Friday to the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center:

1. The Lakers offered little defense. For a coach that cemented his legacy with an offense dubbed “seven seconds or less,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni offered a nugget that may take more time to digest. D’Antoni said he devotes 75 percent of his practice on defense. Despite the Lakers’ apparent focus on this area, they have lacked horribly in actually showing any defensive strength on the court. The Kings’ XX points marked the sixth time in the past seven games they allowed opponents to crack the 100-point plateau.

The reasons sound awfully familiar. The Lakers left themselves exposed inside, allowing 60 points in the paint and getting outrebounded XX-XX. Some of this remains a by-product of D’Antoni’s preference for a small-ball lineup. But lots of it stems from the ongoing effort, rotation awareness and toughness that plagued the Lakers all season.

2. The Lakers’ offense ran like a well-oiled machine. The Lakers stayed competitive by posting numbers seemingly only possible on a video game with all the cheat codes activated. The Lakers posted a season-high XX points went XX of XX from the field (XX), XX from three-point range (XX) and featured six players cracking double digits in Jordan Farmar (XX), Jodie Meeks (XX), Pau Gasol (XX), MarShon Brooks (XX), Kent Bazemore (XX) and Wesley Johnson (XX). The Lakers’ third quarter output seemed more mind boggling, including 41 points on 14-of-19 shooting (71 percent) and 9-of-12 from three-point range (75 percent). The Lakers achieved such offensive euphoria for a number of reasons. They constantly moved the ball and spaced the floor.

The Lakers’ small-ball oriented lineup enabled them to maximize floor spacing and open three-pointers and layups for everyone. Such tenets then appeared to fuel the Lakers’ confidence and rhythm. Equate the Kings’ sub-par roster and a one-game suspension to star DeMarcus Cousins, and the Lakers appeared to have all the right ingredients needed for an offensively prolific game.
Continue reading “Five things to take from Lakers’ 126-122 win over Sacramento Kings” »

New Orleans#1 Tyreke Evans gets past Lakers Jordan Hill who was getting a little face plant from Pau Gasol in the first half. The Lakers hosted the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. 11/12/2013. photo by (John McCoy/Los Angeles Daily News)

Even amid never-ending losses and injuries, the Lakers are somehow becoming a draw to NBA TV.

NBA TV will televise the Lakers when they host the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday at Staples Center, marking the second game in a week the league channel added the purple and gold to its national telecast. NBA TV also broadcast the Lakers’ loss last week to the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers have had three of their games this season dropped from national telecasts, including the Lakers’ loss Jan. 8 in Houston (ESPN), the Lakers’ loss Jan. 20 in Chicago (TNT) and when the Lakers host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday at Staples Center (ESPN).

The Lakers originally had 25 national television appearances scheduled, including five on ABC, 10 on ESPN and 10 on TNT. A team can make a maximum of 10 appearances on ESPN and TNT per season, opening the possibility for ESPN, TNT and the NBA to decide later to add a game that wasn’t originally planned.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com

What a startling development. The Lakers continue to have injury issues.

Nick Young will sit out when the Lakers (19-39) host the Sacramento Kings (20-37) tonight at Staples Center and likely beyond because of persisting soreness in his left knee.

“I don’t think he’s real close,” Lakers spokesman John Black said.
Continue reading “Nick Young to miss Lakers-Kings game” »

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Lakers forward Lamar Odom joined the Spanish team Laboral Kutxa, a positive development during an otherwise tumultuous year.

He’s dealt with a divorce from reality television star Khloe Kardashian. Odom was arrested last summer for drunk driving in which he plead no contest. He was waived by the Clippers amid his off-court issues and averaging a career-low four points.

Odom credited Pau Gasol for providing an assist after the two once provided many of them together through four years with the Lakers, including two NBA championship seasons.

“I was told about Baskonia through my agent. I spoke to Pau,” Odom told reporters. “I understood that Pau had a great relationship with Coach Sergio (Scariolo), that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to come.”

Gasol, who grew up in Barcelona, sounded surprised.

“I didnt have a chance to talk to Lamar,” Gasol said. “He’s hard to reach. The guy is very hard to reach. I love him to death.”

Gasol then added he lobbied Scariolo to add Odom to his roster.

“I love him and know how much he loves the game and just wanted an opportunity (for him),” Gasol said. “I hope he takes advantage of this opportunity and plays the game he likes to play. Hopefully it’ll work out.”

“It’s not easy to leave your country, go away, play somewhere else where you have no friends and you can’t speak the language. I can relate to that. But hopefully he’ll just focus on basketball and he’ll get his confidence and rhythm back and he’ll finish off the season well.”

The Lakers sent Odom to Dallas in 2011 after he demanded a trade following the team unsuccessfully traded him in the nixed Chris Paul deal.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com

As he makes steps toward progressing back into basketball, it turns out Lamar Odom received a significant assist from a former teammate who once provided many of them to him on the court.

Pau Gasol once formed a great pair with Odom, their versatile skillset and teamwork with the Lakers proving instrumental toward winning two NBA championships. Now Odom has joined the Spanish team Laboral Kutxa amid a year a trial and tribulation in which he dealt with a divorce from reality television star Khloe Kardashian, a drunk driving arrest (plead no contest) and being waived by the Clippers. Considering Gasol’s background with both the Spanish national team, he proved a key influence in ensuring Odom latched onto the Spanish club team.

“I was told about Baskonia through my agent. I spoke to Pau,” Odom told reporters. “I understood that Pau had a great relationship with Coach Sergio [Scariolo], that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to come.”

Gasol also recently voiced support toward Odom joining the team on Twitter.

Congrats @RealLamarOdom, great signing by @Baskonia ! I'm happy that he's getting this new opportunity. Welcome to the @ACBCOM !

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 18, 2014

Gasol’s affection for Odom remains deeply rooted for obvious reasons. Gasol played with Odom in four of his seven season with the Lakers, appearing in three consecutive NBA Finals and winning two league championships. The Lakers’ acquisition of Gasol Feb. 2008 stemmed from a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies eventually resulted in Odom having a bench role. Odom and Gasol also remain linked because they were part of the Lakers’ Chris Paul deal that ultimately was stopped by former NBA Commissioner David Stern. Gasol would’ve gone to the Houston Rockets and Odom would’ve gone to the New Orleans Hornets.

In a controversial move, the Lakers accommodated Odom’s trade request to the Dallas Mavericks for a $8.9 million trade exception and a flurry of draft picks.

Odom averaged then career-lows in points (6.6), shooting percentage (35.2), rebounds (4.2), assists (1.7) and minutes (20.5). At the time, Odom was also only a summer removed from a close cousin dying and being a passenger of a car where the driver accidently struck and killed a 15-year-old pedestrian. Fed up with his play, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban cut ties with him last April before eventually dealing him in a three-team trade to the Clippers. Last season, Odom averaged a career-low 4 points.

“I got to play in the incredible city of L.A. and win championships and play with players like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, coached by Phil Jackson and Pat Riley [in Miami],” said Odom. “Then sometimes you get to a point in your life where less is more.”

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com