Head coach Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks to the team during a timeout during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center on January 08, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP
It was just one lopsided result on a night that saw the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers rout the Thunder 128-99 in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
The Lakers improved their league-leading record to 10-3 and remained unbeaten in seven games on the road — their best road start ever in a season.
LeBron James scored 26 points with six rebounds and seven assists. Anthony Davis scored 12 of his 18 points in the first quarter to get the Lakers started off right and Montrezl Harrell scored 21 off the bench as the Lakers followed up a dominant victory over the Rockets on Tuesday that had left Harden fuming.
“When we defend like that, it gives us the opportunity to get out and do what we do best on the offensive end, that’s get out and run and get in early transition,” James said.
“We had a low turnover game,” he added. “(When we) combine our defense with our execution on the offensive end, our precision, we’re a really good team.”
The Dallas Mavericks welcomed big man Kristaps Porzingis back with a 104-93 victory over the Hornets in Charlotte.
Porzingis scored 16 points in 21 minutes on the floor as he made his season debut after left knee surgery in October.
The 25-year-old added four rebounds and two blocked shots and Mavs point guard Luka Doncic fell just shy of a triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in the wire-to-wire win.
The Hornets’ four-game winning streak ended painfully as star forward Gordon Hayward departed in the third quarter with a left hip strain and did not return.