The Los Angeles Lakers were in position to hand the Golden State Warriors a second consecutive loss, but Brandon Ingram missed a buzzer-beater, and it was the window of opportunity the defending NBA champions needed.
Stephen Curry shook off a subpar shooting performance to connect on back-to-back 3-pointers in overtime, which was part of a Warriors’ 7-0 run to open the five-minute stanza. The Lakers fought back late but couldn’t get over the hump in a 127-123 loss.
Curry missed the second of two free throws, leaving the Lakers within two points, but Draymond Green kept the ball alive for the Warriors and it led to more free throws for Curry that sealed it.
Playing without leading scorer Kyle Kuzma, who sat out due to back spasms, the Lakers largely didn’t miss much of a beat. Brandon Ingram scored their first nine points of the game and finished with a career-high 32.
It marked Ingram’s first career 30-point game. His early success was overshadowed by a white-hot Warriors start. They shot 62 percent from the field and scored 20 of their 30 points in the paint in the first quarter.
That was a break from what’s held true for the Lakers’ sixth-rated defense that led the league in points allowed in the paint per game. As the Warriors cooled off, Julius Randle and Lonzo Ball supported Ingram’s efforts in offsetting Kuzma’s absence.
Randle was instant energy off the bench, which he sustained throughout the night of his 23rd birthday. In addition to pouring in 20 points, Randle added four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Jordan Clarkson led all Laker reserves with 21 points.
Ball finished with 15 points and 10 assists. He went on an eight-point flurry in the third quarter that was halted by a cut above his left eye that was a result of diving for a loose ball.
Ball was 3-of-6 from behind the arc in what was arguably his top shooting performance of the season. The Lakers outscored the Warriors, 34-20, in the second quarter, and also controlled much of the third after Klay Thompson led an early spurt.
Curry and Thompson combined for a 9-2 run to give the Warriors a five-point lead with less than six minutes remaining in the game, but Ingram and the Lakers responded to recapture the lead on multiple occasions.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drew a foul on his drive to the basket and converted the three-point opportunity to give the Lakers a lead. Kevin Durant’s 3-pointer on the ensuing possession tied it but his missed jumper with less than 10 seconds remaining allowed the Lakers a final shot in regulation.
Durant had a team-high 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Nick Young scored nine points off the bench but only played 14 minutes in his first time facing the Lakers.
