Getty Shake Milton of the Philadelphia 76ers walks off the court with head coach Brett Brown after an injury.
First of all, it was a valiant effort. The Sixers held an 11-point lead early on despite being down three starters.
Then, the Lakers opened the floodgates en route to a 120-107 win on Tuesday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Lakers center Anthony Davis scored 18 of his game-high 37 points in the second quarter to build an insurmountable deficit. Then, LeBron James put it seemingly out of reach in the third quarter after burying a deep 3-pointer. He launched it from halfcourt, literally at the Lakers logo, and finished with 22 points.
LEBRON WITH THE PULL UP 3 FROM 40 FEET OUT WOW
Glenn Robinson III paced the Sixers with a career-high 25 points as a suffocating Lakers’ defense put the clamps down on Shake Milton (12 points) and Tobias Harris (18 points).
What about Al Horford? Well, it looked like he forgot to get off the plane. The much-maligned big man was brutally dominated all night by Davis and left the court briefly with an injury. The Sixers’ best spurts late in the game came courtesy of a small-ball lineup featuring Mike Scott at center, (not Horford).
The disappointing performance marked the ninth straight road loss for the Sixers, the franchise’s worst stretch in four years. It also marked the first time the Lakers had beaten the Sixers since Dec. 7, 2017.
Sixers Coaches Honor Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles
With Tuesday night’s contest being the only time the Sixers would be playing the Lakers at Staples Center this season, they paid tribute to a Lakers legend in a unique way. The coaching staff wore Kobe Bryant sneakers, each one sporting a different Mamba-style shoe on the bench.
props to the @sixers coaching staff for the nice #KobeBryant tribute in their only @lakers visit. @NBA #NBA #lakers #sixers #blackmamba #MambaMentality
“I had the privilege of coaching teams that competed against Kobe for 15 out of my 20 years in the NBA,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said on Jan. 26. “Simply, my memories of him are deep and one of tremendous respect.”
Sixers Down Three Starters versus Lakers
To be fair, the Sixers were playing without three starters in this one.
Center Joel Embiid (left shoulder) and point guard Ben Simmons (back) didn’t even make the trip to California as they continue to rehab back in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, shooting guard Josh Richardson had been ruled out with a concussion on Monday.
.@sixers Glenn Robinson III has matched his career high of 25 points for the third time. He reached that total twice earlier this season as a Warrior.
Robinson III has now topped 20 points nine times in his career.
h/t @bball_ref
Instead, the Sixers leaned on guys like Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks and Furkan Korkmaz and Shake Milton against the Lakers. Mike Scott posted a team-high 33 minutes while Robinson scored a career-high 25 points.
The team will have to forget about its 120-107 loss to the Lakers and move on to Sacramento. The Sixers and Kings square off on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. and finish up their California swing on March 7 versus the Golden State Warriors.
There was no immediate update on Simmons’ status as he deals with a pinched nerve in his back, a lingering and scary injury. Embiid will be re-evaluated later this week but all indications had pointed to the big man rejoining the Sixers on March 11. Stay tuned.
Avery Bradley bullying Al Horford 🔥 Lake Show going crazy
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Sixers Fall to Lakers, Set Dubious Milestone