Lakers make it a losing season downed by Denver

If you’re a LA Lakers fan and you watched the game last night, you will have wanted to wake up and think this past week was just a bad dream.

Well we have some advice; stop reading right now.

Denver Nuggets were the side to condemn the Lakers to a losing season for the first time in nine years in a 134-126 win thanks to Kenneth Faried’s career-high 32 points and Ty Lawson’s 30, which also resulted in a third straight defeat on Mike D’Antoni’s side, just days after the 142-94 rout by the Los Angeles Clippers – the biggest defeat in franchise history.

Despite Pau Gasol’s 27 points it was not enough to prevent falling to a 21-42 record; something which, admittedly was on the horizon any time soon, but given Thursday’s result against the Clippers, it’s very much salt in to the gaping wound.

A tale of streaks between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers though on Friday, as  James Harden scored 16 of his 28 points in a huge third quarter on the way to beating the Pacers 112-86 for a fourth straight win, and their 22-6 record in the calender year of 2014 is the NBA’s best so far.

A 38-point third quarter saw the Eastern Conference leaders handed their first three-game losing streak of the season.

Dallas Mavericks blew a 30-point lead but clung on to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-98.

With a 44-14 lead early in the second quarter, the blow-out saw the Blazers up 69-67 by the third.

Devin Harris broke a 98-98 tie in the final minute of the game to help Dallas eventually seal the victory.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs’ scorers with 22 points, while Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 of his 20 in the third quarter.

Rajon Rondo had 20 points in a 91-84 win for the Boston Celtics over Brooklyn Nets, ending their four-game winning streak.

Al Jefferson’s 28 points led the Charlotte Bobcats to a 101-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, their sixth straight win at home.

The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Chicago Bulls 85-77, with 18 points and 10 rebounds from Marc Gasol, while Kevin Love posted 28 points, 14 boards and five assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves claimed a 114-101 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Carmelo Anthony scored an 18-point first quarter, and finished on 29, to secure a 108-81 win for the New York Knicks over the Utah Jazz, while Terrence Ross scored 18 in a 99-87 win for the Sacramento Kings against the Toronto Raptors.

Anthony Davis’ 29 points and 14 rebounds helped the New Orleans Pelicans down the Milwaukee Bucks 112-104.

Finally, David Lee scored 18 points and Jermaine O’Neal added 17 off the bench as the Golden State Warriors beat the Atlanta Hawks 111-97.