LDN - Sports

Lakers roll past slumping Hawks

[November 28, 2016] LOS ANGELES -- More than three years later, jilted Los Angeles Lakers fans still give Dwight Howard the business.

On every trip to Staples Center, Howard is brutally booed and called almost every vulgar word in the book by Lakers supporters, who still hold grudges over the former Los Angeles center leaving the team as a free agent.

"I close my ears," Howard said.

The fans also found reason to cheer during Howard's visit Sunday, as the Lakers used a balanced attack to close out the Atlanta Hawks 109-94 Sunday night.

Los Angeles (9-9) got 21 points from Lou Williams, 18 from Jordan Clarkson and 17 from Nick Young. Larry Nance Jr. contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who ended a two-game slide.

Young, who missed Los Angeles' Friday loss to the Golden State Warriors with a sore toe on his left foot, found a rhythm in the second quarter that rallied the Lakers and allowed them to seize a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"Just finding a way to win, finding a way to play aggressive and go out there and have fun," said Young, who connected on 6 of 12 shots from the floor, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

Ex-Laker Kent Bazemore scored 21 points to lead the Hawks, who fell for the fifth time in six contests. Four of those losses were by double digits.

"Everyone in this league and everyone around us knows that we have the team, we have the personnel to get it done. It's just figuring it out at this point," said Bazemore, who made 8 of 16 field-goal attempts and 5 of 8 from behind the arc. "As a competitor, you hate to lose, but it's part of the process. Great things take time and a lot of sacrifice."

Howard finished with 19 points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes for Atlanta (10-7). He scored 13 in the first quarter.

Hawks guard Dennis Schroder collected 11 points and eight assists, while Kyle Korver and Mike Muscala each scored 10.

The Lakers swept the season series. They also beat the Hawks 123-116 in Atlanta on Nov. 2.

"We just got players that play well together," said Williams, who scored 13 points in the fourth.

The Hawks built a 32-21 lead after one quarter before the Lakers rallied in the second behind their second unit. Los Angeles used a 22-6 run to open the second to take a 43-38 after a layup by Clarkson with 5:23 remaining in the quarter.

The Lakers went up by as much as 10 before a 3-pointer by Bazemore ended the half and pulled the Hawks within 56-48 at the break.

The Lakers outscored the Hawks 35-16 in the second and outshot them 50 percent to 35 percent. Young scored 12 of his 15 first-half points in the quarter, hitting all four of his field-goal attempts, three of them from long distance.

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Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) goes up for shot during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Lakers won 109-94. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

"The energy that the second unit brought on the defensive end in the second quarter, I think, changed the outcome of that game," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "It's what we have been preaching all year, but it was really the first time that we saw all five guys on the court talking defensively.

"They were all talking, and when that happened, we started moving as a unit defensively and that allowed us to get out and go on a run, and I think we kind of carried the momentum through from that point on."

Los Angeles continued to dictate in the third quarter, leading by as much as 11 after Williams sank a 3-pointer with 40.5 seconds left in the period for an 84-73 edge. However, buckets by Millsap and Muscala sliced the advantage to 84-77 heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth, the Lakers pulled away.

Overall, 12 Atlanta turnovers led to 20 points for the Lakers, who committed nine miscues for 13 points.

The Hawks had a slight edge in shooting, making 44.3 percent of their shots to 44.2 percent for the Lakers.

NOTES: Lakers F Julius Randle (hip pointer) missed his third game, and it is unknown whether he will be healthy enough to return when Los Angeles opens a four-game trip at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. Randle was unable to complete practice Saturday due to pain in his hip, but he performed some shooting drills afterward. "He's getting better, but he's just not there yet," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. ... F Luol Deng is the only Laker to start every game this season. He scored four points in 19 minutes Sunday. ... Atlanta ranked second in the league in forcing 16.8 turnovers per game (leading to an average of 18.3 points) entering the contest, but they hounded the Lakers into just nine giveaways. The Hawks also were third in steals per game at 9.6 per game, but they managed just five on Sunday. ... The Hawks visit the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

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