SACRAMENTO — Without their only draft pick, the Lakers couldn’t put up much of a fight in the first game of the California Classic.
Despite missing Talen Horton-Tucker (stress reaction), the Lakers jumped out to an early 10-point lead. But that evaporated in a hurry, as Miami scorched its way to a 106-79 victory.
While Horton-Tucker will not play at the California Classic, Zach Norvell — who signed a two-way contract prior to the game — made his Lakers debut.
The guard from Gonzaga made a couple of early 3-pointers and hit the glass aggressively. He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists, but shot just 2-of-8 from the field.
Rosco Allen led the Lakers with 13 points, while Miami lottery pick Tyler Herro scored a game-high 18 points with five 3-pointers.
Herro’s teammates were also blistering from deep, as the Heat shot 51.7 percent on triples (15-of-29).