LOS ANGELES _ It finally wasn't the Golden State Warriors standing across the sideline from the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers, and that led to a 109-92 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center on Sunday night.
With starters D'Angelo Russell (knee soreness) and Julius Randle (hip pointer) sidelined, the Lakers were led by the energy of their second unit. Second-unit guard Lou Williams led them with 21, 16 coming in the second half, and Jordan Clarkson chipped in 18. Former Lakers center Dwight Howard finished with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks, but 13 of those points came in the first quarter.
Howard slowed down as the game went on and his team followed, which helped the Lakers avoid a three-game skid before beginning a four-game trip.
While the Lakers were without Randle for the third consecutive game, they did welcome shooting guard Nick Young and his 17 points back to the starting lineup. Lakers coach Luke Walton started Thomas Robinson in Randle's place, which was a way to keep his second unit together. It was also an effort to match up with Howard and Paul Millsap inside, which mostly proved futile.
Lakers fans booed Howard whenever he touched the ball, but he never had it long enough for the jeers to really materialize. He scored eight of the Hawks' first 13 points _ on three dunks and a baseline jump hook _ and smiled whenever the crowd serenaded him. He went to the bench with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in the first quarter, which was the main reason the Hawks held an 11-point lead going into the second.
The Lakers shot 32 percent in the first, making just eight of their 25 shots from the field, while the Hawks sank 52 percent of their shots.
But the Lakers got a jolt of energy from their reserves in the second quarter. Larry Nance Jr. scored six quick points, Lou Williams completed a three-point play and the group shaved the gap to four before the Hawks called a timeout. Then they flipped that to a five-point Lakers' advantage by turning the game into a track meet.
The Lakers ultimately led by eight points, 56-48, at halftime. They were paced by Young, who had 15 first-half points and made all four of his three-point attempts. Howard was held scoreless in the second but led the Hawks in scoring at the break.
For half of the third quarter, the Lakers' starters kept the Hawks at arm's length. The Hawks made small dents in the deficit, but they didn't get the same interior production from Howard. After picking up his third foul, Howard went to the bench with just four points in the third quarter. As a result, the Hawks trailed by seven going into the fourth.
A quick 5-0 run drew the Hawks within four at the start of the fourth, but Williams then hit five straight free throws to punch the Lakers' lead back to nine.
The Lakers led by 13 when Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer called a timeout with 6:17 left on the game clock. The Hawks were again being outpaced by the Lakers' second unit, and that continued once the two teams walked back onto the court.
Williams continued his second-half splurge. The Hawks' offense continued to sputter. When Williams walked to the bench with 1:24 on the clock and the Lakers leading by 19, it seemed like the crowd was booing once again.
But Howard was on the bench and could no longer affect the final score. The crowd was letting out a long "Louuuu," and soon after they cheered for a Lakers win.
