The Lakers played a big, nationally televised game on Wednesday in Milwaukee. And, in keeping with a too frequent theme this year, they lost. But this time, Lakers fans can feel a lot better despite the L, because the quality of play was higher than what we've seen to this point. For starters, Russell Westbrook played arguably his best game as a Laker, continuing to ease into a comfort zone of pretty good shot selection, strong attacks on the rim and more tolerable turnover numbers. Will that translate into a great partnership with the rest of the Big Three, when LeBron returns? Dunno. But it's a start. And the defense, after a rough first half, clamped down in the second, a nice change of pace for a team that has routinely wet the bed in third quarters.

Meanwhile, Talen Horton-Tucker scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, his third straight quality effort since returning to the Lakers lineup. And according to Frank Vogel, THT may have played his way into the starting lineup, even after LeBron returns. Is that the right move?

Finally, Staples Center is getting a new name. Once Christmas rolls around, we're all looking at something called Crypto.com Arena. Will the Lakers play better in an arena than a center? Are people freaking out a little too much over this, despite the fact that Crypto.com Arena doesn't exactly roll off the tongue? Yes, it sounds kinda dumb, but when you think about it, so does "Staples Center." The difference is Staples has become such an irrelevant brand, people don't think of it as a brand anymore. Just an arena name.

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