LOS ANGELES_Six times in the three weeks leading up to Friday night's game, the Los Angeles Lakers had double-digit leads that didn't last.
Apparently what they needed was something to ignite them.
The Lakers led by just eight points before a near melee in the third quarter saw two players ejected and electrified the Staples Center crowd. They cheered Jordan Clarkson as he walked off the floor, and jeered Heat guard Goran Dragic as he did the same, then watched the Lakers stretch their lead into the teens.
That energy lasted and the Lakers beat the Heat, 127-100, winning their second consecutive home game. It was a season high in points for the Lakers, who improved their record to 14-26 while the Heat fell to 11-27.
Lou Williams led the Lakers with 24 points. Forward Luol Deng (19 points and 14 rebounds) and center Tarik Black (10 and 11) had double-doubles, and point guard D'Angelo Russell scored 19 points.
Power forwards Willie Reed and James Johnson scored 22 and 20 points, respectively, for the injury-riddled Heat, who recently lost forward Justise Winslow for the season with a shoulder injury and have been without center Hassan Whiteside for the last four games because of an eye injury. Dragic, before being ejected, had 16 points on seven-for-13 shooting.
The 10th of Miami's 11 wins this season came against the Lakers on Dec. 22. In that game the Lakers built a 19-point lead in the first half, only to see it vanish in the third quarter. It was the second time that week the Lakers had a 19-point lead in a game they eventually lost.
Overall this season, the Lakers have won 11 of the 19 games in which they've had double-digit leads. Lately, though, their leads, even big ones, have been precarious at best. From Dec. 16 through January 5, the Lakers had double-digit leads in eight games and went 2-6 during those contests.
Friday, they built one quickly.
The Lakers scored 10 points before the Heat scored once. Miami missed its first five shots.
After a cold start for the Heat, the game evened. By halftime, the Lakers only had a two-point lead, and the Heat even secured their first lead of the game during that period. A similar back and forth proceeded in the third quarter. The Lakers led by two, then three, then five, then seven, then three again later and then eight, when Clarkson checked in.
Seconds later, Clarkson and Dragic began bumping each other.
They clashed a few times before Clarkson used his forearm to push Dragic off him and to the ground. After Dragic rose, he charged at Clarkson with an official in the way and a near melee followed. Miami center Reed came rushing into the fray as Lakers forward Deng pulled Clarkson away. Miami's James Johnson started to charge at the Lakers bench.
After a lengthy consultation, the officials assessed double technical on Clarkson and Dragic, ejecting both. Johnson was also charged with a technical foul and Clarkson a personal foul in addition to his technicals.
Then, for only the third time in nine tries during the past three weeks, the Lakers held onto a double-digit lead.
