NBA: Los Angeles Lakers hope to meet President-elect Joe Biden but champions lose at Spurs
- Published
The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship in October
The Los Angeles Lakers hope to become the first NBA champions to visit the White House since 2016 when president elect Joe Biden takes office.
No team has visited the White House under the presidency of Donald Trump.
President Trump rescinded invitations to NBA championship winning teams in recent years after several players stated they did not wish to visit.
But US media claim, external the Lakers would be keen to visit Biden after he is sworn into office on 20 January.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the last team to meet a sitting president when they visited Barack Obama after their 2016 win but the Golden State Warriors (2017 and 2018) and the Toronto Raptors (2019) did not go to see Trump.
The Lakers will potentially make their visit when they play at the home of the Washington Wizards, as long as Covid-19 restrictions or Biden's own engagements do not get in the way.
Doncic v Jokic and Lakers lose
Donkic (left) and Jokic (right) shone in a close affair between Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets
The Lakers lost their third match in nine games this season on Thursday, 118-109 at home to San Antonio Spurs.
LeBron James scored 27 points for the hosts but 28 from Spurs' LaMarcus Aldridge gave them a fourth win in eight this season.
Elsewhere, Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry - brother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry - tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.
His team top the Eastern Conference but lost for just the second time this season, 122-109 against the Brooklyn Nets.
In the game of the night, Luka Doncic scored 38 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds for the Dallas Mavericks as they secured an overtime win over a Denver Nuggets side inspired by a 38-point haul by Nikola Jokic.
Serbian Jokic also had 11 rebounds and with 2.4 seconds remaining, he found space to shoot and land two points to tie the game at 109-109 at the final buzzer.
Slovenian Doncic continued his fine work though to help his side to a 124-117 win.
Damian Lillard scored 39 points as the Portland Trail Blazers picked up a 135-117 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the low-scoring game of the night saw the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 94-90.
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