In their first trip to Miami this season, the Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to come together and rally for a win on the road. Instead, following an abysmal showing on both ends of the floor, the Lakers got exposed in what quickly became a night to forget.
The Lakers never quite looked right from the start of the game. The Heat stepped out to an early lead in the first quarter (34-26), which slowly grew through the end of the second quarter. It wasn’t until after halftime that the game was truly blown open.
The Heat outscored the Lakers by 16 points (36-20) and never looked back. By the start of the fourth quarter, all hope was lost for the Lakers and they were defeated in embarrassing fashion (134-93).
Tyler Herro led both teams in scoring tonight with a final stat line of 31 points (11-19 FG), 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 27 minutes. Jimmy Butler made a massive impact on the game with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists on 8-12 shooting. Star big man Bam Adebayo tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in 25 minutes of action.
For the Lakers, LeBron James finally broke his recent cold streak with 29 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds in 29 minutes. Anthony Davis had a rather underwhelming game with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on 3-14 shooting. Starting forward Rui Hachimura finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist on 6-7 shooting.
The Lakers came into the game feeling good about their chances but it didn’t take long for things to spiral out of control on the court. The Heat just couldn’t miss, and their scorching-hot 57.8% shooting made it impossible for the Lakers to catch up. Needless to say, the game was an indictment of the Lakers’ current roster and left a lot of fans feeling sour about the rest of the season.
Worst Defensive Performance Of The Season
The defense was the story of the night for the Lakers. Missed assignments and miscommunications allowed open threes and the Heat were able to hit them at an alarming rate. The Heat shot 57.8% from the field for the game and 51.1% from three.
With 24 made three-pointers, the Heat tied a franchise record tonight and had the Lakers playing from behind for the entire game. So far, it’s arguably the worst defensive stretch of the season for the Lakers, and it’s particularly bad in the backcourt, with D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent being the only options available at the position.
As a team that’s historically had the most success with their defense first, the Lakers know how important it is to stay elite on that end of the floor and Rob Pelinka may have to consider making a trade so that they can rediscover their defensive identity.
Lethargic Play From Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis was another weak point for the Lakers tonight and if his play is any indicator, they are in for a long season. His lack of aggression and lack of effort on defense was noticeable among the fans and it resulted in a lot of breakdowns for the Lakers defense.
Of course, with just 8 points in 31 minutes, Davis was also struggling offensively and he barely made an imprint on that end of the floor. Of course, we know that Davis was playing through a plantar fasciitis injury, which he re-aggravated against the Pistons, but he played worse than expected tonight and it could mean his overall health is in poor condition.
Regardless of the true cause of Davis’ slump, the Lakers can’t succeed without him at his best and we saw that tonight with the team shooting just 42.5% from the field. Since they are already so thin in the frontcourt, the Lakers cannot survive without Davis and they will only go as far as he takes them.
Reverting To Old Habits
In the first 10-15 games, the Lakers were playing like a whole new team with a well-run offense and revamped defensive energy. They were locked in, moving constantly, and running plays at a higher frequency than ever. Lately, and tonight especially, they’ve been falling back on old habits that held them back during their darkest days.
Isolation play, in particular, was a popular go-to move for the Lakers tonight and they relied on it far too often. It’s partly why the Lakers only totaled 29 assists as a team compared to the Heat, who finished with 42. Of course, they’ve also lost the intensity on defense which is why they allowed 134 points.
The best guess among fans and critics is that the Lakers are either tired or gassed from the early season grind but it doesn’t bode well for their outlook the rest of the way considering this season is only just getting started.
In the aftermath of the brutal defeat, the Lakers were trending on social media and it’s no wonder why. After their latest display of horrendous and careless play, the whole basketball world is wondering just what has gone wrong in that locker room.
As bad as it seems now, however, the Lakers are still 12-10 with a chance to make things right as early as Friday, December 6th, at 7:30 PM EST against the Hawks at State Farm Arena. The Lakers head back home on the 8th for a game against the Trail Blazers at 9:30 PM EST before facing the Timberwolves at Target Center at 8:00 PM EST on Friday, December 13th.
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