Lakers stumble again
LeBron notches triple in losing cause
LeBron James produced a 28-point triple-double but it was not enough to prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from sliding to defeat against the lowly Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
A stony-faced James marched quickly off the court at the State Farm Arena following a fourth defeat in five games for the Lakers, who were pummeled by Philadelphia in their previous outing on Sunday.
James’ fifth triple-double of the year included 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists. However, the Lakers were undone by a determined Hawks lineup which spread the scoring through their ranks to complete a 117-113 win. John Collins and Trae Young had 22 points each for the Hawks, while four other players made double figures.
The Lakers fell to 28-29 with the defeat, which saw Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram score 19 points each while point guard chipped in with 15 points. The Lakers remain outside the playoff places in the Western Conference in 10th spot, and will need to halt their slide in form if they are to mount a charge for the playoffs.
The Hawks meanwhile are way down the pecking order in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, with 19 wins against 38 losses. Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors overcame a spirited performance by the Utah Jazz before pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 115-108 win.
Kevin Durant put up 28 points while Stephen Curry added 24 to lead the scoring for the Warriors.
Curry’s tally included backto-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to help take the NBA champions into a 103-95 lead.
Utah had earlier matched the Warriors blow for blow, scrapping their way to 93-93 with just under eight minutes left.
However, Curry’s run of points and a sublime three-pointer from Klay Thompson made the game safe for Golden State, who lead the Western Conference with 41 wins against 15 losses.
In Philadelphia, Gordon Hayward delivered 26 points from the bench to spark Boston to a 112-109 victory over the 76ers.
Hayward, who has made a successful return from a horrific leg injury in 2017 which sidelined him for the entire season, drained six three-pointers to give the Celtics a battling win over their Eastern Conference rivals.
The Celtics are now level with the Sixers with 36 wins against 21 defeats.