Lakers’ tank debate comes to end with 120-106 loss to Mavericks

Reality finally returned to the Lakers, whose fan base had turned its back on one of the most awkward seasons ever.

The Lakers clinched the NBA’s fourth-worst record, ending some of the external arguing and hand-wringing amid the importance of hanging onto their top-five protected draft pick.

Sure, Lakers followers could start rooting for their team again, though it didn’t exactly change anything, the Lakers losing to the Dallas Mavericks, 120-106, Sunday at Staples Center.

Jordan Clarkson had 26 points and Tarik Black a career-high 19 rebounds, but there were a different set of stats, just in case Lakers fans wanted the final percentages: Going into the May 19 lottery, the Lakers officially have a 17.2% chance of falling to sixth or seventh and forfeiting their first-round pick because of the Steve Nash trade. They also have a 37.8% chance of moving into the top three spots.

At any rate, the months-long “tanking” debate and divided fan base came to an end after the Lakers could no longer fall below Philadelphia — or Minnesota and New York — in the standings.

“Yay,” Lakers Coach Byron Scott said, following it up with a hearty laugh. “It feels great.”

Then he got serious.

“It was a little awkward. True Laker fans, I understand what they were trying to say as far as lose games and try to get the very best pick,” Scott said. “I don’t agree with it at all but I do understand it.”

The Lakers now have another matter at hand. They have two games to prove they’re not the worst team in franchise history, a distinction held by the 1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers and their .264 winning percentage.

The Lakers (21-59) have a .262 success rate this season and need to win Monday at Sacramento or Wednesday at home against the Kings to avoid the inglorious worst-ever tag.

In the latest case of a season gone awry, Wesley Johnson was off to a great start Sunday, scoring 16 points in the first half, but didn’t return because of a sprained left ankle. Then Dwight Buycks sustained a broken hand, leaving the team with only two healthy guards. Forward Ryan Kelly might become their third guard for Monday’s game, though the team could sign a fill-in player before tipoff.

Tyson Chandler had 20 points for Dallas, which never swept the Lakers in the regular season until last year. Make it two seasons in a row.

The Lakers keep losing but they’re actually not hammering each other. Part of it has to do with submission to a losing season a long time ago. And the players actually don’t hate one another, making for a quiet locker room, not tense or fiery, after a loss.

“I would like to think that it had a lot to do with the way the roster was built … and also had something to do with us as a coaching staff,” Scott said. “I would like to take some credit, me and my staff, for some of it. Not a lot.”

Scott physically patted himself on the back while saying the last two sentences. It was one of the few funny moments of an almost-done season.