The Los Angeles Lakers have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions in the last two days. This was due to heart-stopping endings against the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls on back-to-back nights.
It started on Wednesday during the team’s win over the Pacers. The Lakers had lost three straight games when they headed into battle against Indiana on the road, with LeBron James sealing the win for the team with a buzzer-beating put-back tip. It was James’ eighth career buzzer-beater and seemed to be a moment that could revitalize the franchise.
LEBRON JAMES FOR THE WIN AGAINST THE INDIANA PACERS pic.twitter.com/GnLuZWKB0g
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) March 27, 2025
They couldn’t marinate in the success of the Pacers’ win as they had a back-to-back against the Bulls. Chicago had beaten them earlier this week, so the franchise needed to get their revenge win. They were cruising to the same with a 16-point fourth-quarter lead, but the Bulls would score 44 in the final quarter to steal the win. They’d do it with Josh Giddey nailing a half-court buzzer-beating game-winner.
THE ENDING OF BULLS-LAKERS OMG 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/PhHOjSKdS7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 28, 2025
It seems like this is the first time a franchise has had to go through these highs and lows in 24 hours. The closest thing to this that we’ve seen in recent years is when DeMar DeRozan scored game-winners on back-to-back nights in 2022 and 2023. We’re mentioning both years because the first shot was on December 31, and the second one was on January 1.
We can see how the fans dealt with both outcomes. Lakers fans were overjoyed and celebrating LeBron’s buzzer-beater against the Pacers but came crashing down with the loss to the Bulls. That’s how fickle NBA fandom can be.
Lakers fans don’t have as much to complain about as other franchises, but this is definitely an emotional rollercoaster they had to endure.
The Lakers Hope To Enjoy More High Moments
There aren’t many games left in the season, but the last month has made a major difference for the Lakers. From the highs they saw in February, March has been a reality check for the franchise. They’ve gone 4-6 in their last 10 games and need to smarten up their act to remain competitive in the West Playoff race.
They have a tricky set of fixtures remaining this season. But if they want to prove their mettle as championship contenders, they should be able to take on all comers and remain competitive. While fatigue is a real factor, the team is at least fully healthy at the moment.
A lot of the Lakers’ success in February was born out of a highly intense defensive style, with the franchise leading the NBA in defensive rating over this span. Their injuries and the fatigue from a grueling schedule have hurt their consistency. But that’s the nature of March basketball in the NBA, with the best teams managing to endure these stretches without a problem.
The Lakers are locked in a battle for playoff positioning, so they can’t afford to rest their players down the stretch of the season. Instead, they have to find a way to manage their loads and ensure they remain effective on the court. Their rhythm is out-of-wack, but after the recent hard losses, it might bring them together.
They had encouraging stretches in both games, so the winning formula clearly still exists. They just needed to nail their consistency in effort from quarter to quarter. If they can fill those gaps, the Lakers can find the form we saw them dominate the league with in February.
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