The Los Angeles Lakers lost disappointingly to the Minnesota Timberwolves in an 8-point game on Friday night. It was a crucial game for the Lakers in their bid to make the playoffs this season, and a loss means they are still outside the play-in spots.
Darvin Ham offered a blunt critique of the Lakers after the game, calling the team out for their lack of effort.
Darvin Ham on the Lakers lack of effort tonight: "We can't be locked in for 2.5-3 hours? Out of a 24-hour day? … We do basketball for a living. Someone shouldn't have to tell you to be locked in … We get paid millions of dollars to do basketball for a living."
— michael corvo (@michaelcorvo_) March 4, 2023
“We can’t be locked in for 2.5-3 hours? Out of a 24-hour day?,” Darvin Ham said. “We do basketball for a living. Someone shouldn’t have to tell you to be locked in … We get paid millions of dollars to do basketball for a living.”
The Los Angeles Lakers hung around for three quarters but weren’t able to erase the 8-point deficit they took into the 4th quarter. Anthony Davis had 38 points on the night, but no other Lakers player had more than 15 points on the night. Dennis Schroder had 6 points as a starter and had an abysmal 23.1% field goal percentage.
The team was still missing LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell, but the game was there for the taking and they failed to capitalize. They could have gone even in the loss column with the Timberwolves with a win, but now find themselves 2.5 games behind the 8th seed again. And their fans knew exactly how big of a loss this was for the team.
What Does The Playoff Race Look Like For The Lakers Now?
Thankfully for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Portland Trail Blazers also lost, meaning they won’t fall in the standings. But they cannot afford to lose against Western Conference teams anymore, making their next game against the Warriors incredibly important.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James for another few weeks but should get D’Angelo Russell back for the next game or the one after that. He will make a difference for the team, and they need to win six of their next nine games to still be around the conversation for the 6th seed by the time James returns to the floor.
Their next 4 games are all at home, where they have a 15-15 record this season. The team now has the talent to pick up serious wins, so a lack of effort is not excusable at this juncture. The chance to make it to the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference is still there, but the Lakers will need to figure something out quickly.
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