LOS ANGELES – As expected, there was a significant let down from the Lakers’ heartthrobbing Christmas day victory victory over the Boston Celtics.
Not from the Lakers, however, but from their fans who were in playoff-mode voice for that showdown over the defending NBA-champion Celtics.
Besides, how much animosity can one show for the Golden State Warriors, who play an entertaining brand of basketball, did not pose much threat Sunday night to the Lakers and along with that have a former Laker fan favorite, Ronny Turiaf, on their team?
But as the game wore on, the Lakers gave their fans plenty to cheer about in extending their winning streak to four consecutive games and boosting their home record to 16-1, best in the Western Conference and third-best in the NBA, behind Cleveland (15-0) and Boston (17-1).
One of the biggest cheers of the night came in the final seconds, when Lakers rookie Sun Yue scored a basket.
Realizing that the game’s tempo would be played at a much quicker pace, although perhaps not as intense as the game against the Celtics, the Lakers anticipated a high-scoring affair.
They got just that. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant led the romp with a game-high 31 points. It was his seventh game of 30 or more points this year. Five other Lakers also scored in double figures, including Derek Fisher, who finished with 19.
