When the teams with the two worst records in the NBA met, something had to give.
Alas, for the Hawks, it was them.
Doomed by an abysmal start to the second quarter, the Hawks fell 132-113 Sunday to a Lakers team that had lost its last nine consecutive games.
Which left the Lakers 12-27 on the season, to the Hawks’ 10-29.
The Hawks could do little right to open the second quarter, getting outscored 21-3 to start the period.
While the Hawks were connecting on just one of their first 16 shots, the Lakers were streaking up and down the court like Magic Johnson was back running Showtime.
By the time the half ended, Los Angeles had turned a two-point advantage at the end of the first period into a 66-48 lead and had scored 28 points off their fast break to zero by the Hawks.
It was a blow from which the Hawks could never recover. They trailed by double-digits the rest of the night. There would be no typical NBA second-half run.
The 132 points were the most the Hawks have allowed this season.
Guard Dennis Schroder did what he could, scoring a game-high 27 points. It was his 20th 20-point game this season, but he received little help. Kent Bazemore, a former Laker, had 15 points, and John Collins another 15 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, seven different Lakers scored in double-figures, led by Brandon Ingram’s 20 points. He hit all but one of his seven field-goal attempts. Jordan Clarkson added 18 points off the bench.
A 32.4 percent 3-point shooting team on the season, the Lakers connected on 44.4 percent of their threes Sunday (16 of 36).
The Lakers outrebounded the Hawks, 49-37.
The Hawks fell to 3-18 on the road this season.
Taurean Prince left the game in the first quarter with a dislocated right ring finger. He retreated to the locker room but returned midway into the second period and played 25 minutes, finishing with six points.
