Let’s start with a disclaimer that nobody needs: The Golden State Warriors, as presently constructed, are bad.

With the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline just over two weeks away, the Los Angeles Lakers have made calls to try and upgrade their roster, and one of the names they’ve reportedly inquired about is Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose.

One night after shooting just 43.9% from the field and 33.9% from three, the Los Angeles Lakers exploded offensively, led by a 27-point, 10-assist, 12-rebound triple-double from LeBron James and 50% shooting from distance overall to beat the Brooklyn Nets, 128-113.

Somehow, someway, the Indiana Pacers dug (Doug*?) deep enough to top the Denver Nuggets in the first game of their five game road trip. The Pacers needed a staggering 41 points in the fourth, a season high, to complete what was an eight-point comeback in the final period.

Jared Dudley has never groused about playing a bit role for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. He’ll go handfuls of games without seeing the floor for even a second of playing time, but steps up every time he’s called upon. Every time he speaks with reporters after the games he does play in, he’ll make a self-effacing joke about being old or tired, deflect any praise of his performance by publicly hoping whichever teammate he’s replacing comes back soon, and walks off into the night.

The Los Angeles Lakers came out sloppy against the Houston Rockets as Russell Westbrook hurt them for 22 first-half points, but managed to turn things around in the second half with a stellar defensive effort, winning 124-115 to start their annual Grammy road trip off the right way. Kyle Kuzma was a big part of that.

The Trail Blazers secured a much-needed 129-124 win over the Warriors thanks to an amazing 61-point outing from Damian Lillard. Portland’s leader was not going to be denied. Lillard recorded 40 points in the second half, pulling the Blazers through a hard-fought victory over the Warriors. Outside of Dame’s big night, Hassan Whiteside produced another solid double-double.

Someday, we’ll tell our grandchildren about this game.