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Not even the return of Marc Gasol could help the Los Angeles Lakers end their losing streak on Thursday, as they fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 109-101 in spite of their spirited comeback effort in the fourth quarter. The Lakers have now lost four straight without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Things didn’t start off horribly for the Lakers on Thursday. The ball was moving thanks to Gasol’s playmaking from the center position, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was knocking down the 3-ball at an efficient clip and Dennis Schröder looked like someone who was motivated by hearing his name in trade rumors. Additionally, Dwight Howard was ejected from the game early on, which made the 76ers as undersized as the Lakers.
Things didn’t end horribly for the Lakers, either, if you ignore the result of the game. After trailing by as much as 18 points, the Lakers cut the 76ers’ lead down to just three points with less than a minute on the game clock. Unfortunately, three points is as close as they got and the lead that Philadelphia built in the third quarter was enough in the end. Danny Green hit the final dagger against the team that traded him this summer, hitting eight threes to score 28 points on the night he got his championship ring.
Fortunately for the Lakers, they will spend at least a few more nights as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, as they still hold a 1.5 game lead over the No. 5 seed, the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers will try and carry their momentum from the fourth quarter into their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday as they look to end their losing streak and win their first game without James and Davis.
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