The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their third straight game, losing 95-87 to the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in Oakland. David Lee scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Warriors, who have won six of their last seven home games. Andrew Bynum continued his rebounding barrage, grabbing 17 boards to go with his 13 points.
The first quarter looked like the Lakers would snap their losing skid, as the two-time defending champs built a 23-14 lead. Golden State made just seven of 29 shots from the field (24.1%) in the opening quarter, including 0-for-7 on three-pointers. The Warriors made up for their poor shooting in the first quarter, shooting 45.3% (29-for-64) the rest of the way, including 38.9% (7-for-18) from beyond the arc.
After an ugly first half, the Warriors were up five, and the game remained close into the third quarter. Golden State was up 54-50 with 7:46 remaining in the third, but then went on a 20-5 run over the next 8:17, building a 19-point lead early in the fourth quarter. The Lakers cut it to eight points with under three minutes left, thanks to 10 points from Kobe Bryant in just over two minutes, but never got closer than that.
Tonight's loss snapped a 12-game winning streak by the Lakers over the Warriors. Bynum has had nine 17-rebound games in his career, and five of them have come in the last five weeks. Bryant led the Lakers with 25 points. Monta Ellis led Golden State with 26 points. The Lakers conclude their brief road trip Friday night in Portland.
For more news and information on the Lakers or tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.