The :Philadelphia 76ers visit the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Staples Center in an NBA game that will be live streamed and broadcast over the Time Warner Cable Sports Network and on https://nbalivestreamfree.net
The losses have been piling up for the banged-up Lakers lately, even at home. Hosting the league's worst road team may be just what they need to turn things around.
The Lakers (13-17) have lost four straight overall and four of five at home, beset by injury yet again. Already without the likes of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Steve Blake, Los Angeles was also without Pau Gasol on Friday at Utah due to respiratory infection, which coach Mike D'Antoni said will also make him a game-time decision Sunday.
Los Angeles came up short against Utah, losing 105-103 after Derrick Favors' putback dunk with 2.1 seconds remaining.
D'Antoni said confidence has been the missing ingredient for his team lately.
"We had it rolling for a while. We got knocked back on our heels with a couple of injuries," he said. "But we need to win one and we'll build from there. But I think we're close and they're giving all they got.
"We're scrambling a little bit, but in the meantime these guys have played with focus and purpose. We feel like we're ready to turn the corner."
The 76ers (8-21) have struggled on the road all season. They won at Washington in their first road game on Nov. 1 but have since dropped all 13 contests away from home.
They were without Evan Turner due to a sore right knee Saturday in Phoenix, where they lost 115-101. Turner, who averages a team-high 19.3 points, is expected to play Sunday in the third stop on a six-game trip.
"I think I might have aggravated it the past couple days in practice maybe," said Turner, who missed his first game this season. "I think coach was just being precautionary. I was going to try to play tonight but he thought it'd be a better idea for me to play tomorrow and take it from there as opposed to playing catch-up."
Turner's presence Sunday, however, might not necessarily help alleviate Philadelphia's issues. On the road, the 76ers are allowing teams to shoot 48.1 percent, with opponents scoring at least 102 points in regulation in all but one contest.
They surrendered 31 fast-break points against the Suns and are giving up an average of 18.4 per road game.
Lakers guard Nick Young will play against his former team for the first time after averaging 10.6 points in 59 games for Philadelphia last season. He's averaging 20.9 points over his last seven games while going 20 for 42 from 3-point range. He scored 14.4 per game in the previous 23 contests while shooting 34.8 percent from beyond the arc.
