Lakers’ Week 8 in review

The Lakers finished Week 7 celebrating the highs of a three-game winning streak and Kobe Bryant’s passing Michael Jordan for third on the all-time career scoring list.

Week 8 was less successful.

The Lakers were blown out Monday by the Pacers, 110-91, in Indiana. The game wasn’t as close as the final score. Nick Young wasn’t quite his usual upbeat self after the loss.

The Lakers drew the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, although All-Star forward Kevin Durant sat out with an ankle sprain.

Bryant missed the Lakers’ final shot and the Lakers fell, 104-103.

Durant said he would like to play with a guy like Kobe Bryant every day. The show of support may be intriguing for the future, given that Durant could be a free agent in 2016, but will Bryant play beyond his contract -- in the off chance that Durant does choose to join the Lakers?

“Maybe,” was all Bryant would allow.

Young faced a possible suspension, for throwing a forearm at Thunder center Steven Adams. Instead, the scorer was seemingly given a pass.

On Sunday night, the Lakers fell to the Kings in Sacramento, 108-101.

Bryant’s scoring milestone was a remarkable accomplishment, but it seemed to have left him exhausted through Week 8.

After the defeat in Sacramento, Coach Byron Scott said he’d consider resting the All-Star guard.

The increasing losses have left center Robert Sacre with fewer bench celebrations, an issue in the competitive Western Conference.

Television ratings have dropped for both the Lakers and Clippers this season.

Rookie Julius Randle (broken leg) is off crutches as he works his way back from a season-ending injury.

The Lakers sent Jordan Clarkson briefly back to the NBA Development League for a game on Thursday. On Saturday, the D-Fenders set a D-League record with 175 points in a 48-minute game.

A number of Lakers are now eligible to be traded, as of Dec. 15. The team chose to guarantee half of Ronnie Price’s contract.

Finally, Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin have responded differently to losing their starting jobs.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.