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Nets lose to Lakers 104-98, fall to 0-6

The Brooklyn Nets, playing at home, had their best chance of the new season to break their losing streak and enjoy victory. They were up against the Los Angeles lakers who entered the game 0-4. But as three-pointers continued to clank, the Nets lost 104-98 and fell to 0-6 for the season.

In the win for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant (5-of-16) had 18 points, D’Angelo Russell (6-of-9) and Jordan Clarkson (6-of-12) each had 16 points, and Julius Randle (5-of-9) had 14 points with seven rebounds. Roy Hibbert blocked three shots.

In the loss for the Nets, Brook Lopez (8-of-19) had 23 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, Joe Johnson (8-of-16) had 22 points, Jarrett Jack (8-of-22) had 18 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists, and Thaddeus Young (7-of-15) scored 14. But the Nets as a team shot just 3-of-19 from three-point range.

GAME NOTES

The Nets held the Lakers to 18 points in the first quarter, marking the fewest points the Nets have allowed in a first quarter this season.

Brook Lopez has moved past Richard Jefferson into third place in Nets NBA history in field goals made (2,943), trailing only Vince Carter (3,216) and Buck Williams (3,981).

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson started the first game of his NBA career tonight, and he grabbed an impressive 11 rebounds in 25 minutes.

Lakers waive Jabari Brown

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived guard Jabari Brown, General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today.

Which means, unless the team makes another change, Metta World Peace has made the roster.

Brown appeared in six games for the Lakers this preseason, averaging 6.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 14.3 minutes per game. In 19 games (five starts) for the Lakers last season, Brown, who was signed to a multi-year contract on April 1, averaged 11.9 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 29.9 minutes per contest.

The Lakers roster now stands at 15.

Lakers waive Jonathan Holmes

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived forward Jonathan Holmes, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Holmes, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Texas, was originally signed by the Lakers on August 13. He appeared in two preseason games for Los Angeles, averaging 2.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.50 steals and 0.50 blocks in 7.5 minutes.

The Lakers roster now stands at 16.

Jordan Clarkson injures shoulder

Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting on a key young Lakers guard:

Los Angeles Lakers starting guard Jordan Clarkson suffered a shoulder injury during his team’s 136-97 preseason loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, placing his status for next week’s regular-season opener in question.

“Obviously [the injury] puts a damper on the way we want to start the season,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “It might be without [Clarkson], next Wednesday, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

The Lakers open their season Oct. 28 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center.

Lakers waive Michael Frazier II and Robert Upshaw

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived guard Michael Frazier II and center Robert Upshaw, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Frazier II, an undrafted rookie from Florida, was originally signed by the Lakers on August 25. He appeared in four preseason games for Los Angeles, averaging 2.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 13.5 minutes per game.

Upshaw saw action in four of the Lakers’ seven preseason contests, averaging 2.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.75 blocks in 14.1 minutes per game. The undrafted rookie out of Washington was originally signed on September 14.

The Lakers roster now stands at 17.

Lamar Odom prognosis is not good

Here’s TMZ Sports with the latest on former NBA star Lamar Odom, who is fighting for his life in a hospital right now, and is reportedly in very bad condition:

Lamar Odom has not gotten any better, and sources familiar with his treatment say even if he survives he has virtually no chance of ever leading a normal life.

Our sources say doctors continue to put Lamar’s chances of survival at 50/50. We’re told he showed “absolutely no improvement” Thursday from the condition he was in when he was admitted to the hospital Tuesday. As one person put it, “He’s in dire straits.”

Lakers hire Tracy Murray as shooting coach

Former Lakers player Tracy Murray has been hired by the team as a shooting coach, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

In his position, Murray will work with head coach Byron Scott and his staff, focusing on improving the players shooting form and technique.

“I’ve known Tracy a long time, and he was one of the purest shooters I’ve ever seen,” said Scott. “I think he’ll be a benefit to our players, especially our young guys, and I look forward to working with him as a member of our staff.”

Most recently, the Los Angeles native spent eight seasons as a radio color analyst for the UCLA Bruins men’s and women’s basketball teams. During this time, Murray also spent three seasons (2007-09) as a player mentor and assistant coach for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Developmental League and one season (2011) as an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock.

Originally selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft, Murray played for six teams (Portland, Houston, Toronto, Washington, Denver and Los Angeles) over his 12-year NBA career posting averages of 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 659 games. In 1995, Murray earned an NBA championship as a member of the Houston Rockets and on February 10, 1998 he recorded a career- high 50 points while playing for the Washington Wizards. Following the NBA, Murray played overseas with stints in Greece (Panathinaikos, 2004-05 and P.A.O.K., 2005-06) and France (Elan Chalon, 2006-07).

An alumnus of UCLA, Murray played for the Bruins from 1989-92 and was named to the Pac-10 All-Conference First Team during his sophomore and junior seasons. The former McDonald’s All-American averaged 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 98 career games and finished his career ranked fifth on UCLA’s All-Time Scoring list (1792).

Lakers exercise contract option on Julius Randle

The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised their team option for the 2016-17 season on forward Julius Randle, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

This was a widely-expected move, as the team hopes Randle will emerge as a serious building block for the future.

Randle, the seventh overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, only appeared in one game as a rookie, scoring two points in his professional debut on October 28th against Houston before suffering a fractured tibia in his right leg. The second-year player out of Kentucky has started in all five Lakers preseason contests in 2015, averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.20 steals in 24.5 minutes.

Lakers player cuts coming soon

Like all NBA teams, the Lakers must soon say goodbye to players they won’t be keeping for their regular season roster. Here’s the OC Register reporting:

[Lakers head coach Byron] Scott said this week he’ll soon begin trimming the Lakers roster to eventually get down to the league’s 15-player maximum.

That means Tuesday’s game against the Kings could be the last night for some members of the 19-man roster.

The team’s decisions could offer some insight into whether the organization truly views this season as a development year, or if it believes it still has a slim chance at the postseason.

Players such as World Peace, Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black and Robert Sacre offer more immediate help on the court. But would the Lakers be better off investing in Robert Upshaw and Jabari Brown to see what they become?

“I’m looking for the 15 guys that best fit the team,” Scott said.

Lakers beat Maccabi Haifa 126-83

Here’s the OC Register reporting on a Lakers preseason win:

Kobe Bryant scored 21 points in 19 minutes and six of his teammates scored in double figures as the Lakers rolled to a 126-83 win over Israel’s Maccabi Haifa on Sunday at Staples Center.

Bryant shot an efficient 6-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers.

Roy Hibbert tallied 16 rebounds to go with 8 points and 5 assists.

It was a breakout night for many, and especially appreciated after the Lakers lost their first three preseason games.