The Lakers rolled off three consecutive road victories prior to facing the Philadelphia 76ers in a marquee contest that proved to be one of their most difficult tests of the 2023-24 season.
Nevertheless, the Lakers appeared to be lacking in depth as they were humiliated 138-94 to finish 10-8 on the season.
From the outset, Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid engaged in a physical confrontation, each establishing an early offensive momentum. Embiid was called for two quick penalties by Davis, but a Tyrese Maxey 3-pointer gave the Sixers a 16-13 lead.
Los Angeles began to lose control of the situation when they were unable to generate favorable looks, which allowed Philadelphia to establish a double-digit lead. Despite making his NBA début off the bench, Jalen Hood-Schifino’s Lakers entered the second half trailing 32-19.
The 76ers increased their 3-point shooting from the beginning of the second period, which resulted in an 18-point deficit and prompted Darvin Ham to call a timeout. Los Angeles was punished for any missed shots and turnovers by Philadelphia, which increased its lead to 52-29 with the completion of another long-range shot.
Defensively, the purple and gold provided little opposition as the Sixers created excellent opportunities nearly every time down the court. Despite a 14-4 surge in the fourth quarter that helped Los Angeles begin to see some shots fall, the team entered halftime trailing 68-53.
Early in the third quarter, LeBron James was aggressive in his pursuit of the basket, while Taurean Prince’s two three-pointers reduced the deficit to 11. Nevertheless, similar to the initial half, the 76ers responded with their own touchdown run, which extended their advantage to 84-65. They maintained a scorching 3-point mark throughout the entire evening, whereas the Lakers were unable to generate much offense.
Los Angeles managed to maintain a semblance of control, albeit the team had to deal with Joel Embiid’s disruption of the game’s flow by reaching the free throw line. As a consequence of the Lakers continuing to force the 76ers to the line, they entered the fourth quarter trailing 98-80.
In the final period, Philadelphia opened the quarter with three consecutive attempts from downtown, widening the deficit despite Ham’s decision to keep the regulars in. The starters were removed and Ham vacated the bench, giving the impression that Los Angeles had waved the white flag.
As a result of both teams utilizing their bench players, the Lakers suffered a setback and their modest three-game road winning string came to an end.