Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham declared an end to excuses as his team suffered a 130-112 defeat against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. The Lakers, with a challenging start to the season, have won only seven of their last 20 games since claiming victory in the In-Season Tournament in December. Despite a promising first half, where they held a six-point lead, the Lakers were outscored by 24 points in the last two quarters.
"Talk about the tale of two different halves," remarked Ham. "That first half is what we're working towards... And then the inconsistency showed up and reared its head in the second half... We have to decide which team we're gonna be."
Ham emphasized, "It's over for the excuses. We got to play basketball." The Lakers have struggled to secure back-to-back wins this season, and their overall record now stands at 21-22, placing them in 10th position – the last available Play-In Tournament spot. The 11th-place Houston Rockets and 12th-place Golden State Warriors pose potential challenges.
In other Friday night matchups, Joel Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 124-109 victory over the Orlando Magic with a 36-point performance, while Tyrese Maxey contributed 32 points. The Denver Nuggets, guided by Nikola Jokic (34) and Jamal Murray (35), edged past the Boston Celtics 102-110, breaking the Celtics' 20-game unbeaten home streak. Devin Booker's outstanding 52-point display, supported by Kevin Durant's 26 points, led the Phoenix Suns to a 123-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Atlanta Hawks secured a 109-108 victory over the Miami Heat, and the Charlotte Hornets triumphed 124-120 against the San Antonio Spurs, with LaMelo Ball contributing 28 points and eight assists, and Brandon Miller recording 24 points and nine rebounds. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Indiana Pacers 118-115, with Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon both scoring 30 or more points.
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