The Los Angeles Lakers again got off to a slow start, but on this night, playing against the team with the worst record in the NBA, they managed to flip the script for a 132-113 rout of the Atlanta Hawks.
The Lakers snapped their season-long nine-game losing streak and avoided becoming just the third team to lose a franchise-worst 10 consecutive games. Brandon Ingram and Brook Lopez were instrumental to L.A. overcoming their early deficit.
That momentum carried into the second quarter, which saw the Lakers expand their lead to 21 points. At one juncture they held a 28-0 advantage over the Hawks in fast-break points and outscored them in the paint, 22-10.
L.A. finished with respective 42-13 and 56-40 edges in both categories. The Lakers’ largest lead grew to 26 points, their biggest at any point this season, and though the Hawks made multiple runs, they never threatened in the second half.
Coming off a night in which he set a career high with 14 rebounds, Ingram regressed in that department — grabbing just one rebound — but he had a team-high 20 points to go along with seven assists. Perhaps most impressive was his efficiency, as Ingram shot 6-of-7.
He was one of eight Lakers to score in double figures, four of which were starters. Had Lopez played more than 19 minutes, it’s reasonable to presume he would’ve finished with more than eight points. Jordan Clarkson led all players of the bench with 15 points.
Dennis Schroder had a game-high 27 points on 10-for-23 shooting. Kent Bazemore (15 points) and John Collins (15 points) were the only other Hawks to score in double-digits. Defensive standout Taurean Prince dislocated his finger in the first half and although he returned, was largely ineffective.
Corey Brewer again didn’t play through three quarters but received minutes late in the fourth to extend his NBA-leading active games streak to 316.
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