The Lakers' home sellout streak ended at 270 regular-season games Tuesday when they were "a little short of the 18,997 capacity at Staples Center" against the Pelicans, according to Bolch & Bresnahan of the L.A. TIMES. The Lakers "sold out 320 straight games including playoffs before drawing 18,426 fans Tuesday." The last "non-sellout for the Lakers at Staples Center came Dec. 6, 2006," against the Hornets in front of 18,535 fans. Meanwhile, a Clippers spokesperson said that the team has "sold out 97 consecutive home games" dating to Feb. 2, 2011, and remains "on track to reach 100 games Monday against Memphis" (L.A. TIMES, 11/14). In L.A., Shahan Ahmed wrote although Lakers G Kobe Bryant’s absence due to injury "likely played a role, he cannot be seen as the deciding factor in breaking the sellout streak." The likely "common ground between the 2006 team and the 2013 team is that the vast majority of critics, analysts, and fans did not give that Lakers team [a chance] of contending for a title just as the majority of onlookers do not believe the current group can make a serious run at a championship." Additionally, L.A. "clearly does not have a large number of transplants from Louisiana" (NBCLOSANGELES.com, 11/13).
