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Newsletter: Lakers! Beat-up Lakers head home from three-game road trip

Lakers coach Luke Walton speaks to Julius Randle.
(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
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Hi, this is Tania Ganguli, Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times, here with your weekly newsletter.

When last we spoke, I was on my way to the airport — not for a Lakers road trip, but for a family gathering. Times staff writer Dan Woike covered the Lakers’ game last Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. He then went on their three-game road trip to Dallas, Memphis, Tenn., and Oklahoma City.

So we’ll have a shorter newsletter this week, but I’ll catch you up on Dan’s work from the week and some of my thoughts from afar.

Since last we spoke

Luke Walton finally got some public support from the top of the organization in the wake of LaVar Ball’s comments about his job. Owner Jeanie Buss sent a tweet with the hashtag #InLukeWeTrust, and President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson tweeted a few times about how well the Lakers were playing under Walton. In the wake of Ball’s comments, there needed to be a clear message from top brass that Walton had their support. That finally came from Johnson after a four-game winning streak.

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Julius Randle had an interesting week. He didn’t score against the Dallas Mavericks until overtime. On Wednesday night, he made all eight of his field goals in the first half, but had no rebounds during that period. As the Thunder pulled away from the Lakers, Walton sat Randle, who played only nine minutes in the second half and grabbed just one rebound overall.

— The Lakers played in Memphis, Tenn., where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, on MLK Day. It’s also the site of the National Civil Rights Museum, and the Lakers took a trip there. Kyle Kuzma was particularly interested.

— Twice during the road trip, the Lakers got physically pushed around, most recently against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. This has been a common problem.

— On the heels of a shoulder sprain, Lonzo Ball is out again with a left knee sprain. His absence is showing again how poorly the Lakers play without him. Wednesday’s loss was the team’s eighth in as many games without Ball. Ball is young and has a small frame that can be prone to various injuries. Ball’s is among several injuries that could limit players for Friday’s game against the Pacers.

Up next

The Lakers have home games against the Pacers, Knicks and Celtics. Then they’ll hit the road for a long and mostly Eastern Conference trip.

Schedule

All times Pacific

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Friday vs. Indiana, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday vs. New York, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m., TNT

Until next time

Stay tuned for future newsletters. Subscribe here, and I’ll come right to your inbox. Something else you’d like to see? Email me. Or follow me on Twitter @taniaganguli

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