Bazemore and Brooks made their debuts for hosts.
There were 10 games on the NBA schedule on Friday night, with the Los Angeles Lakers securing a much-needed home win over the Boston Celtics.
In what was their first game for the franchise, Kent Bazemore (15 points) and MarShon Brooks (14 points) contributed to the win which ended a record eight-game home losing streak for the Lakers.
Two of the NBA’s most storied franchises have fallen from grace this season through a combination of injuries and trades, and with both going through a rebuilding process it is likely that they will both be missing from the playoffs for just the second time in the history of the league.
“Me and Kent just wanted to come out here and play with some energy,” Brooks said. “I was tired — real tired. But D’Antoni gives you that confidence and he lets you go out there and play your game. So I felt free doing that.”
Pau Gasol added 16 points and seven rebounds in his first game since January 31, but Kobe Bryant was dealt another blow with latest tests revealing that he will need another three weeks on the sidelines to recover from his knee injury.
Jeff Green scored 21 points while Rajon Rondo had 11 assists, six points and six rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for the visitors to pick up a morale-boosting win.
Elsewhere, Tony Snell had a career-high 20 points as the Chicago Bulls routed the Denver Nuggets at the United Center.
D.J. Augustin had 22 points and eight assists to help coach Tom Thibodeau secure a fifth consecutive win, while seven other players for Chicago ended the game in double scoring figures.
Taj Gibson revealed after the game that while the Bulls are playing a high level at both ends of the court, he believes their defense is “phenomenal” right now, as they continue to put pressure on the Toronto Raptors for the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago are now 17-7 since January 1, and after seemingly been rocked by the loss of Derrick Rose and Luol Deng through injury and trade respectively, they appear to have found their rhythm and look set for a playoff run.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Clippers while the Orlando Magic secured an overtime win over the New York Knicks, despite 44 points from Carmelo Anthony.
The Magic have insisted that they will base their future on how their young players develop, and with the likes of Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris producing, they were able to snap a three-game losing streak following the departure of Glen Davis.
There were notable individual performances elsewhere as Damian Lillard’s 28 points helped fuel the Portland Trail Blazers to a win over the Utah Jazz, while Markieff Morris scored 21 points to help end the San Antonio Spurs’ long road trip with a defeat to the Phoenix Suns.
NBA Results:
New Orleans Pelicans 87-90 Charlotte Bobcats
New York Knicks 121-129 Orlando Magic
Dallas Mavericks 124-112 Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers 91-98 Toronto Raptors
Atlanta Hawks 107-115 Detroit Pistons
Denver Nuggets 89-117 Chicago Bulls
Los Angeles Clippers 96-102 Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs 85-106 Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz 94-102 Portland Trail Blazers
Boston Celtics 92-101 Los Angeles Lakers
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