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Lakers Drop Fifth Straight, Fall To Nuggets 106-96

(Via @Lakers)

(Via @Lakers)

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, 106-96. Ty Lawson scored 32 points and dished out 16 assists to hand the Lakers their fifth straight loss.

The Los Angeles Lakers looked to snap a four-game losing streak, most recently against LeBron James and the Cavaliers last Sunday. The Lakers were against a struggling Denver Nuggets team on Tuesday night, who are on a six-game skid of their own. Moreover, both teams have combined to lose 26 of their last 28 games.

The Lakers started the game on a 7-0 run, which resulted in an early timeout by the Nuggets. Wayne Ellington powered the Lakers offense early; scoring 11 points to give the Lakers an 18-8 lead, midway through the first quarter. The Nuggets closed out on a 16-9 run to cut the lead to 5 at the end of the 1st quarter, 29-24.

In the 2nd quarter, the Nuggets jumped on a 6-0 for a one-point lead but the Lakers reacted quick and sparked a 6-0 run of their own, regaining their five-point lead. The Lakers pushed the lead to double digits again, leading 42-32 halfway through the 2nd quarter. The Lakers then struggled offensively, allowing the Nuggets to close out on a 13-6 run to end the first half, only leading by three into the locker room, 48-45.

In the 3rd quarter, Wayne Ellington continued his hot shooting – scoring the first five Laker points. The Lakers then pushed the lead to eight, capped by a transition dunk by Tarik Black. Out of the timeout, the Nuggets jumped on a 12-2 run for a two point lead, 63-61. The Lakers managed to tie the game at 71 at the end of three-quarters.

In the final quarter, the Lakers kept the game close – pulling to within a point in each possession but failed to take the lead in the first three minutes of the quarter. The Nuggets pushed their lead to eight halfway through the 4th quarter, anchored by Ty Lawson’s speed and skill on both ends. The Lakers regained their form in crunch time, inching within three with 3 minutes left in the game. After trading baskets, the Lakers found themselves down by five with 54 seconds left, off a Darrell Arthur mid-range jumper. The Lakers went on to lose to the Nuggets, 106-96.

The Lakers shot a poor 44% from the field and shot 33% from beyond the arc. The Lakers did not shoot particularly well from the free throw line as well, only making 16 out of their 27 attempts for 59%. The Lakers did not take care of the ball well, especially in crunch time, committing 12 turnovers. Carlos Boozer posted a double-double for the Lakers, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Wayne Ellington continued to show his shooting repertoire, scoring 18 points in the loss. Nick Young and Wes Johnson had 12 points apiece off the bench.

Ty Lawson dominated the Lakers, scoring 32 points and dishing out 16 assists. The Nuggets shot 54% from the field and scored 54 points in the paint. The Nuggets bench combined for 47 points to snap their six-game losing streak.

The Lakers had dropped the last 15 of 16 games and extended their losing streak to five as they travel to Portland to take on the Blazers tomorrow, 7PM PST.

Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time!

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