Lakers guard distracted? Walton: Yes
Guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope started and had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists but was 4 for 16 from the field and missed nine of his 10 3-pointers late Friday night in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 113-106 loss to the host Golden State Warriors, their 11th consecutive victory.
Caldwell-Pope is serving a 25-day sentence at an Orange County detention center after violating his probation on a drunken driving arrest, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
“Obviously it affected him tonight,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said.
Caldwell-Pope is allowed to leave the Seal Beach Police Department Detention Center for practice and Lakers games in California under a work-release program, but must wear a GPS monitor outside the facility. He said he has been getting extra work with the ball boys and interns.
“It’s not hard. I can still get in and do my work, practice, get shots up. I just have to continue to stay in the gym,” he said. “It’s tough but I’m back with them now and I feel good.”
Caldwell-Pope has missed two road games, and isn’t allowed to travel for games next Sunday in Houston and Jan. 1 at Minnesota.
More Lakers
Forward Brandon Ingram did not play against the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday night because of a right quadriceps bruise and tendinitis in his left quadriceps. Los Angeles announced Ingram’s absence before the game. Ingram had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in a the loss at Golden State. He played 35½2 minutes against the defending NBA champions, his lightest workload in a busy eight-day stretch. Los Angeles also played road games at New York and Cleveland, a home game against Golden State and a game at Houston before playing in Oakland. Ingram is averaging 16 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his second season. Center Brook Lopez missed his third consecutive game with a sprained right ankle, and Blazers guard Damian Lillard was out for the second game in a row with a strained right hamstring.
Bucks
Milwaukee announced that All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets because of right knee soreness. Antetokounmpo played Friday night against the Hornets in Milwaukee and had 26 points and seven rebounds while playing 36½ minutes in Milwaukee’s 109-104 victory. But Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said Antetokounmpo developed soreness in the knee after the game and wasn’t able to play on the second night of a back-to-back. Antetokounmpo entered the game second in the NBA in scoring, averaging 29.6 points per game. Matthew Dellavedova started forthe Bucks.
Raptors
DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points, Serge Ibaka had 17 and Toronto beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-86, Saturday for its 10th consecutive home victory. Delon Wright matched his season high with 14 points while Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas each had 12 for the Raptors, who have won six in a row overall and 12 of 13. Toronto is an NBA-best 12-1 at home and is 10-1 in December, second only to Golden State’s 10-0 mark this month.
Warriors
While guard Stephen Curry could test his sprained right ankle Sunday with some on-court work, coach Steve Kerr said it would be “irresponsible” to play him Christmas Day against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals rematch.
“As much as everybody wants to see him, as much as I want to see him on the floor, we have to be smart with this — 99.999 percent that he’s out,” Kerr said.