On a weekend of upsets, the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off the most stunning knockout punch, when they handed the world champion Golden State Warriors only their sixth loss of the 2015-16 season. In a nationally televised Sunday matinee game, LA stunned the Warriors in blowout fashion and led by as many as 23 points en route to a 112-95 victory at Staples Center.
The Warriors are chasing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' 72-10 season record for the best NBA regular season in history, and following Sunday's defeat, Golden State has 55 wins and six defeats for the season. Even more stunning, the Lakers only collected their 13th win of the season, which illustrated how improbable the result truly was. On a quiet Sunday in LA, the worst team in the Western Conference beat the best team in the NBA.
The Lakers benefited from an uncharacteristically sloppy Warriors' team that turned the ball over with regularity. In contrast, LA took hold of the ball for the majority of the night and limited errors. LA played with poise on both ends of the court and thoroughly outplayed its championship opposition.
"Our guys played about as hard as they've play all season long," Lakers coach Byron Scott said after the game. "For 48 minutes, we didn't have any lapses mentally or physically like we've had in the past. Hopefully, we can continue to grow from this."
.@JClark5on was on ������https://t.co/NSnD9DeF1f — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 6, 2016
Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson led the way with 25 points, but seven different Lakers scored in double figures to highlight the balance in the winning team. Backup point guard Marcelo Huertas notched nine assists to set a new career-high, as the 32-year-old Brazilian rookie played the best game of his short NBA career. Huertas walked off to a loud ovation after the game.
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"Marcelo was probably MVP tonight," Scott said. "When we needed a basket, he either scored or got somebody an open shot."
Kobe Bryant also returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous game with a sore right shoulder, and Bryant contributed 12 points in 25 minutes to the Lakers' victory. In truth, his engaged mannerisms on the sidelines and instructional methods with his young teammates seemed to have a notable effect on the youthful Lakers.
"Kobe kept us on our toes," Lakers rookie D'Angelo Russell, who finished with 21 points, said after the game. "He was coaching us the whole game from the sidelines."
Stephen Curry finished as Golden State's leading scorer with 18 points, but the Warriors simply could not throw the ball in the ocean. Curry missed nine of his 10 three-point attempts, and the Warriors made a season-low four three-pointers and shot a season low 13.3 percent from long range.
More from @ESPNStatsInfo on today's historic Lakers upset over GSW: pic.twitter.com/bwnPeJrgrR — Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) March 7, 2016
On a sunny March day in Los Angeles, the Lakers shocked the world and pulled off an upset of historic proportions.
Quote of the night:
"Guys, I know questions are hard. I'm just as speechless as you guys are tonight." - Kobe Bryant chiding reporters during a pause in the questions.
