Less than two minutes into the first game of the Lakers’ latest trip, they lost energetic shooting guard Nick Young to a strained right Achilles’ tendon.

On whether that explained their lackluster first half or not, there was some dissent, but it undoubtedly complicated matters.

The Lakers gave up 65 points in the first half, and lost to the New Orleans Pelicans, 105-88, at Smoothie King Center on Tuesday night. The loss, during which New Orleans led from start to finish, dropped the Lakers to 9-10 while the Pelicans improved to 7-12, having won five of their last seven games.

The 2019 NBA Draft is over. The dust has settled ... for now. Mike Conley is leaving his home in Memphis and heading to the Salt Lake Valley. There is understandable excitement surrounding the trade. Donovan Mitchell has performed admirably over the past two seasons, but he has also been overworked, carrying the bulk of the backcourt load most nights. With the arrival of Conley, he has help. So, what can we expect from our new point guard this season?

In the opening seconds of Stephen Curry’s NBA career he got an assist on the first possession, a steal on the second and then tried a 3-pointer for the first time at the professional level.

It missed.

The Dallas Mavericks have won their first playoff game since the close of the Dirk Nowitzki era. In game two in their match up against the Clippers they never once trailed, winning 127-114. Luka Doncic scored 28, grabbed eight boards, and handed out seven assists in victory. Kawhi Leonard was the high point man for the Clippers with 35 in defeat.

Now that the dust has more or less fully settled on NBA free agency — well, we think it has more or less fully settled — it’s time to take stock of what teams will enter the 2019-20 season competing for the championship.

The Portland Trail Blazers walked away from the first game of their 2020 NBA Playoffs matchup with with Los Angeles Lakers carrying a 100-93 win and a shiny, 1-0 lead in the series. Amid the celebration and hopes for continued success, here are several observations from the game.

Finally, Anthony Davis is a Los Angeles Laker. The months-long saga that ruined multiple teams’ seasons and featured countless leaks ended as everyone wanted, with Anthony Davisin L.A. and the New Orleans Pelicans securing most of what was once the Lakers’ bright future.

In the mid-1980s, Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins had simultaneous rivalries. Both were friendly, and both shifted over time.