EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Lakers lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 107-106, to end a three-game winning streak. Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s game in Philadelphia:
1. The Lakers used a flurry of late threes to help overcome a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit but they couldn’t stop Tobias Harris, a consistent problem for them all night.
Harris answered Anthony Davis’ runner in the lane by drilling the game-winner with 2.4 seconds left, pulling up from 15 feet and scoring over Alex Caruso.
Everyone talks about Joel Embiid being an MVP candidate but Harris was the one who efficiently dissected the Lakers with 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting.
Embiid got his points too (28) but Harris had the two that mattered in the end.
2. The Lakers struggled with some intangibles throughout the game.
They made only 16 of 25 from the free-throw line (64%), a recipe for trouble on any night. James and Davis both struggled from the stripe in the fourth quarter, making a combined 6 of 11.
Montrezl Harrell got in foul trouble in the first half and went scoreless for the first time since January 2018.
And the Lakers’ three-point shooting, a source of strength this season, tailed off Wednesday until the final few minutes, when Caruso, Dennis Schroder, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit consecutive threes to bring the Lakers back to life. The shot was the only one Caldwell-Pope made on a quiet night where he made one of three attempts.
3. All good things must come to an end, including franchise-record winning streaks.
The Lakers never won their first 10 road games at the start of a season until hitting the mark Monday. But a one-point road loss is a one-point road loss, erasing their chance at extending their team record to 11.
Among their road wins to date are Milwaukee, San Antonio twice, and Houston twice (before the James Harden trade).
The Lakers get a chance to start another streak Thursday in Detroit, the fifth game of their seven-game trip. They finish up with Boston and Atlanta before heading back to Los Angeles.