Los Angeles Lakers Set Franchise Record with 62 Losses in Season

For the third straight season, the Los Angeles Lakers set a franchise record of the woeful variety. 

After setting new marks for the most losses in franchise history during the 2013-14 (55 losses) and 2014-15 (61 losses) seasons, the Lakers added to the misery of Kobe Bryant's farewell tour with a 62nd loss as they fell 91-81 to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center, according to ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes. 

After going 5-10 in March, the Lakers have opened April with three straight losses—two of which have come by double digits. 

But to put things in perspective, this is hardly the worst stretch the Lakers have encountered during an otherwise trying season. Although turmoil has developed recently as a result of a secret videotaping scandal involving D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young, the Lakers actually won more games in March than in any other month this season. 

And that's saying something.

Date	Opponent
Friday, April 8	at New Orleans Pelicans
Sunday, April 10	at Houston Rockets
Monday, April 11	at Oklahoma City Thunder
Wednesday, April 13	vs. Utah Jazz

Los Angeles opened the season by going 2-14 combined in October and November, 4-13 in December and 3-14 in January before falling to 2-8 in February. As a result of those repeated failures, the Lakers own the NBA's worst net rating (-10.6 points per 100 possessions) thanks to a defense that's hemorrhaging 109.2 points per 100 possessions. 

For context, the Philadelphia 76ers rank one spot higher with a net rating of minus-10.1 despite owning the league's worst offense by a fair margin. 

And with that many putrid figures marring what was supposed to be a celebratory season, the Lakers have just one strategy in mind with four games remaining: "Get Kobe the ball," Russell said, according to LakersNation.com's Serena Winters. 

Stats courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise and current as of Wednesday, April 6.