It was 11 years ago Sunday that Kobe Bryant put on a performance for the ages by scoring 81 points. The Los Angeles Lakers honored Bryant on the anniversary by suffering the worst loss in franchise history, losing 122-73 to the Dallas Mavericks.
That's right -- the Lakers as a team scored just 73 points, eight shy of Bryant's historic performance 11 years ago. Somewhere, Bryant is rolling over in his figurative grave.
Lakers scored 73 points, lost by 49 (worst loss in franchise history) on 11th anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game pic.twitter.com/L3KbG3808L
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 22, 2017
Before this season, the Lakers' worst margin of defeat was 48 points, against the Jazz on March 28, 2016, and the Clippers on March 6, 2014. Just this season, the Lakers have lost three games by 40 points or more.
Luke Walton called the loss "embarrassing" as the team suffers most lopsided defeat in franchise history
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 22, 2017
So how bad were the Lakers on Sunday? They shot 28 of 73 (38.4 percent) from the field and a dismal 3 for 21 (14.3 percent) on 3-pointers. The Lakers also turned the ball over 17 times, were outrebounded 49-32 and allowed the Mavericks to score 23 fast-break points and 19 second-chance points. The effort just clearly wasn't there for the Lakers.
The fun-loving, playoff-seeking Lakers, from earlier this season are now a thing of the past. And at 16-32, the Lakers might need D'Angleo Russell to return from his injury as soon as possible if they don't want to fall to dead last in the West.
