The Los Angeles Lakers started the season with four straight losses heading into their Tuesday night matchup with the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center.
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Head coach Byron Scott has seen his team improve their play in the past two games following a blowout loss to the Suns in Phoenix last week. On Tuesday, the Lakers kept the game within reach until late in the fourth quarter, even though Kobe Bryant scored 39 points. They ended up falling 112-106 to fall to 0-5 on the year.
According to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, Scott isn’t going to accept improved play as an excuse for losses:
Byron Scott isn't about moral victories even tho he says team is improving: "It doesn't mean anything when you don't win games."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 5, 2014
The game went back and forth most of the night, with the Suns responding to every Lakers run with a run of their own. While they were able to pull within two late in the fourth quarter, the Lakers offense failed to generate points and the defense failed to make the key stops that lead to victories. It was the fifth straight game that the Laker defense allowed over 100 points, overshadowing the fact that the offense has scored over 100 in the past three games.
With it being the only game this week, Bryant played 45 minutes to try and help get the first victory. His 39 points came on 37 shots, many of which came in the fourth quarter when the Lakers offense went stagnant. The Lakers did have four of their five starters reach double digits in points, including Jordan Hill’s 15 points to go with 15 rebounds.
The Lakers will remain in Los Angeles and take on the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. As of Tuesday, the Hornets had just one win on the season and the Lakers will have a shot to break the losing streak.
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