#los-angeles-lakers

#los-angeles-lakers

The Nets looked flat, disconnected and late to everything early. Luka Dončić took control from the opening tip, getting to his spots at will and scoring 14 points in his first nine minutes as the Lakers shot 83.3% in the first quarter, going 15-for-18. Brooklyn couldn't keep Jaxson Hayes off the rim, couldn't slow the ball in transition and couldn't stay out of foul trouble.

That's why all roads for the Lakers could lead to Wiggins and the Heat. The Lakers have been linked to Wiggins before, and he does fit the bill of what they could be looking for. As Miami continues to see a pathway to acquire more first-round picks in an attempt to beef up its pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, this could be a move that is viewed as a huge win-win for both sides.

He hears it in nearly every arena the Lakers enter. "We want Bronny. We want Bronny." But on Monday night in Cleveland's Rocket Arena, where the familiar chant reached arena-filling decibels, it felt different. It felt like home. Bronny James provided some of the few Lakers highlights in the team's worst loss of the year - a 129-99 drubbing by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday - to turn an emotional homecoming for his father into a happy return for the 21-year-old.

Wonder what Caitlin Clark thinks about the confusion surrounding Austin Reaves' imminent return to the Lakers lineup? Or whether Jeanie Buss has turned on LeBron James? Or if she has nothing but praise for Luka Doncic? Tune in to the Lakers' matchup against the New York Knicks on the NBC Sports debut of "Basketball Night in America" on Sunday night to find out. Clark, the uber-popular WNBA star, will serve an analyst on the pregame show, beginning at 3 p.m. PT, one hour before tipoff.

The first time chants of "Let's go, La-kers" rang out in Ball Arena, Denver's rowdy home crowd booed the unwelcome slogan into silence. Minutes later when the game ended, there weren't enough home fans left to quiet the purple and gold faithful. The Lakers overcame a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to notch one of their most significant wins of the season, taking down the Denver Nuggets 115-107 on Tuesday. Luka Doncic recorded his fifth triple-double of the season with 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while LeBron James had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

It's still unclear exactly when Rui Hachimura will return for the Lakers after missing six games because of right calf soreness, but coach JJ Redick said the forward is trending toward playing soon. That could be as early as Monday night when the Lakers play at the Sacramento Kings or Tuesday night when they play the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena.

There have been a slew of injuries to star players throughout the NBA, including the Miami Heat. Tyler Herro is set to miss his 26th game of the season on Saturday, while Bam Adebayo is expected to miss his 8th. The list doesn't end there: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Anthony Davis, Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards, among several others, have all had prolonged absences due to injury.

Oh, yeah, I'm pretty eager,

"I just remember his demeanor. That's why we nicknamed him 'Easy E,' " Scott told The Times. "He was just so cool, nothing speeding him up. He was going to take his time. He was just easy. He was such a good dude. I loved Easy, man."

The Lakers' new big man went to the free throw line. The team's former big man was on the mind of fans. "I miss you, AD!" a Lakers fan shouted into the silence as Deandre Ayton prepared to shoot a free throw in the first quarter Friday. Former Lakers star Anthony Davis played his first game in L.A. since being traded to the Mavericks last season, finishing with 12 points, five assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the Lakers' 129-119 win at Crypto.com Arena.