The Lakers couldn’t miss. After which they couldn’t make something.
Eleven occasions in a row they received a mismatch they favored and located themselves in spots on the courtroom they wished, solely to see their pictures fail.
For the primary 4 minutes, the Lakers’ offense was excellent. For the subsequent eight, it was problematic.
For the primary time in a very long time because the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, his magic disappeared, the workforce’s offensive engine annoyed by a mixture of Golden State’s protection, wasted offensive alternatives and whistles that didn’t come.
The tone had been set, the Lakers taking part in a giant recreation in opposition to Golden State with out the required rhythm, with out the required toughness, with out the required smarts.
The primary-quarter famine meant the Lakers needed to play from behind, solely briefly getting inside placing distance of the lead earlier than dropping 123-116 on Thursday evening at Crypto.com Area.
Issues received higher within the second half, however the gap was too huge and the momentum too fleeting.
It wasn’t for lack of battle — the Lakers have had a lot all season. They received inside 5 factors within the remaining 5 minutes and inside 5 within the remaining 60 seconds, however by no means inside a single possession.
Lakers star LeBron James, left, steals the ball from Golden State Warriors ahead Jimmy Butler within the closing seconds Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
A wild scramble after a Golden State turnover may’ve lower it to at least one possession, however the Lakers turned over the ball.
It was the story all evening. At any time when the Lakers briefly flurried, catastrophe was there to strike.
Brandin Podziemski, who scored 19 factors within the first half, stole the briefest sliver of momentum by making a working half-court shot to finish the second quarter.
With the Lakers (46-30) placing some constructive possessions collectively on the finish of the third, Austin Reaves received caught reaching in on Stephen Curry and despatched him to the road for 3 free throws.
“I thought we still did a good job trying to fight out of those situations,” Reaves stated. “It’s just, we didn’t have enough time to get it all back.”
In between all of it, the Lakers spent loads of power directed on the officers, some with good trigger. The workforce used and gained a pair of challenges however had none left by the third quarter, leaving it helpless when a replay confirmed Curry, not the Lakers, kicked the ball out of bounds. As an alternative of a turnover, Curry scored on a layup on the subsequent possession.
The Lakers usually overreacted to missed calls, missed pictures and missed possibilities.
The sport additionally provided an attention-grabbing have a look at the place the groups stand with simply six video games left within the common season, the Lakers unable to unravel Golden State (45-31) and its protection within the first assembly since each rosters have been overhauled.
Curry completed with 37 factors on 10-for-21 taking pictures and Podziemski had 28 factors and eight rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 11 factors.
Within the tightly contested West playoff image, the groups may find yourself assembly within the first spherical. If the season ended Thursday, the Lakers and the Warriors could be the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds, respectively.
“That’s part of the process of becoming a really good team. You gotta go through those up-and-down battles of going through situations where you have to figure it out,” Reaves stated. “If everything is always smooth sailing, if at any point in the future it doesn’t get there, if it’s a little rocky, then you don’t know what to turn to. Once you go through things like this, you have to adapt and adjust. And that’s what we’ll do.”
LeBron James scored 33 factors and Reaves had 31, however Doncic made simply six of 17 from the sector for 19 factors. It was Doncic’s worst-scoring recreation since Feb. 25 and his first with no three-pointer because the 2022-23 season.
“That performance from me is unacceptable,” Doncic stated.
Doncic banged his left elbow late within the Lakers’ win Monday in opposition to Houston however stated it wasn’t a consider his play.
“It’s fine. That’s my left so it’s fine,” Doncic stated. “I shoot them with the right.”
The Lakers host New Orleans on Friday evening earlier than taking part in their subsequent three video games on the highway, together with two in opposition to the first-place Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
