The Los Angeles Lakers put up another strong fight against a solid Eastern Conference playoff contender, only to fizzle down when the going got tough. The Lakers suffered their third loss in back-to-back nights after failing to thwart Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat, 100-94, at Staples Center.
The Heat kept themselves in the thick of the playoff race after registering their second consecutive win at the expense of the Lakers. Whiteside, who has been a revelation for Miami this season, produced another stellar game as he racked up 18 points and career-high 25 rebounds - the second highest rebounding output in franchise's history.
Whiteside's big game upped his season averages to 11.1 points and 10.1 rebounds, while shooting 63 percent from the field. After playing in the D-League and overseas for the past few years, Whiteside found a home in Miami and his presence has never been more valuable for the Heat since Chris Bosh was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lungs.
Dwyane Wade tallied a game-high 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists - including a nifty pass inside to Whiteside for a two-handed slam that put the icing on the cake.
"Always be aware, Hassan," Wade told reporters via ESPN. "You never know when I'm going to pass it. I thought we kind of did a good job with me attacking, so they were kind of used to that. And then, when they least expected it, it kind of came at the perfect time."
Averaging 15.8 points, 6.8 assists and 4.2 boards over the last five games, Jeremy Lin sustained his good form, providing another solid all-around performance with 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting, 9 assists, two rebounds and four steals in 29 minutes of action.
Lin along with Ed Davis, who recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds, kept the Lakers afloat despite shooting 43 percent from the field and 39 percent from the free-throw line, especially in the second half. However, the Lakers simply couldn't muster a big play that could have swung the tide of the game down the stretch.
With their third straight setback and second in their current road schedule, the Lakers fell to 16-44 in the season, just three games better than the cellar-dwelling Minnesota Timberwolves (13-47).
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