Lakers mull how to 'right ship' after latest loss to Heat - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Finally back at Crypto.com Arena after a brutal December in which they were seemingly perpetually on the road and slid in the standings, the Los Angeles Lakers looked like strangers in their own home in Wednesday night's 110-96 loss to the Miami Heat.

The schedule was supposed to be favorable for the Lakers coming into the new year, with 11 of their first 12 January games in L.A., but the Heat — with their star, Jimmy Butler, out for the second straight game because of right foot irritation — were the team that looked comfortable.

«It's a little bit of everything right now,» Lakers coach Darvin Ham said afterward, explaining how his team has gone 2-8 in its past 10 to fall to No. 10 in the Western Conference. «We're not executing. That team played harder than us tonight, executed better than us tonight, more physical than us tonight. We got outworked tonight, so it's a bit of everything right now.

»If we keep on this train, it's not going to be good for us."

It was especially bad early against the Heat. Miami led by as many as 11 in the first quarter, with L.A. coughing up 10 turnovers in the opening frame while shooting 6-for-18 from the field (0-for-7 on 3-pointers), looking lost against the Heat's zone defense.

«They threw a zone in, and they just dared us to make shots, and we didn't,» said Anthony Davis, who led L.A. with 29 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks, but also had a team-high five turnovers. «Kind of took us out of our thing, but 10 turnovers in the first quarter was kind of a recipe for disaster.»

Playing with a starting lineup of Davis, LeBron James, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince and Austin Reaves for the first time, L.A. appeared disjointed on the offensive end and disconnected on defense,