Lakers lose 100-94 to Heat

The Lakers fell by a score of 100-94 to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. Hassan Whiteside had a dominant performance on the boards, totaling 18 points, 25 rebounds (!!!) and 4 blocks.

It was a close contest throughout, with the Lakers actually up by 5 at halftime and kept within one possession up until the final minute of the game. Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic also both had very solid games, combining for 46 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds.

For the Lakers, scoring was incredibly balanced, with no player scoring over 14 points. Jordan Clarkson, who is one of the only reasons to watch the Lakers lately, was okay, but struggled with his shot a bit (3-11 FG) but posted 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The Heat primarily bested the Lakers by getting to the free throw line: Miami was 33-43 from the charity stripe, whereas the Lakers were 11-17. Lakers seemed to lack any rim protection throughout the game, resorting to fouling inside and tallying just 1 block on the night (from Ed Davis).

In terms of the Tank Wars: Despite the loss, the Lakers sadly didn't gain any ground. The Timberwolves, Magic, and 76ers all lost.

The Lakers will travel to Memphis tomorrow and play the Grizzlies on Friday night.

Our highlight of the night, courtesy of Jordan Hill: