The Los Angeles Lakers have started another game with a massive deficit. After trailing by 26 points in the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns in yesterday’s game, the Lakers have had an equally bad start against the Toronto Raptors on the second night of a back-to-back as they trailed the Raptors by 19 points at the end of the first. The lack of endurance of this team in the first quarter has become a recurring problem
The second quarter went better for the Lakers, but the Raptors stayed strong with the deficit remaining at 19 after about 8 minutes of play. LeBron James became visibly frustrated after the Lakers committed a shooting foul to let the Raptors go up by 20.
James is usually a composed player despite troubles on the court but looked extremely angry after the Lakers committed that shooting foul. LeBron threw the ball onto the court with both hands three times with a lot of force. His face told the entire story as the Lakers are in a very bad spot in yet another game.
LeBron is upset. 😳
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 15, 2022
The Lakers trail by 18 at the end of the first half with the score standing at 58-40 in the Raptors’ favor. Another loss here would put the Lakers 10 games under .500 and give them an even bigger hole to climb out of.
The Lakers have been outscored by a combined 81-34 margin—a 47-point gap!!!—in their last two 1st quarters
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) March 15, 2022
The Lakers are 1-5 against the Raptors since LeBron James joined the team, with the only Laker win coming without James on the floor. LeBron personally is 0-5 against the Raptors and may become 0-6 at the end of this one.
The silver lining is that the Lakers may be able to still be in play-in with their current situation. Outside the Sacramento Kings, none of the team’s outside the 10th seed are actively looking to make the playoffs. The New Orleans Pelicans seem to be a guaranteed matchup for the Lakers in the play-in, another team that recently handed the Lakers an embarrassing blowout loss.
