The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a humiliating loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night. At one point, the Lakers were cruising, holding a 26-point lead. But the game ended very differently for LA, as the Thunder beat them by 7 points to hand them their third loss of the season.
Fans called out the Lakers for their poor and sloppy performance against the Thunder, asking questions about their complacency during the game. The fact that the Lakers had 2 superstars on the court and still blew such a big lead does not sit right with fans of the Lakers.
Westbrook was unhappy with Darius Bazley’s last-second steal and dunk to seal the game, and he called him out for what he felt was unsportsmanlike conduct. But there is no denying that Westbrook’s 10 turnovers against his former team were a big part of why the Lakers lost the game.
Despite AD and Westbrook having decent numbers, 30 and 20 points respectively, the Lakers just couldn’t seal the deal and close out the game. And they suffered the consequences of not being locked in. This lack of focus has been a pattern for the Lakers, who have started the season on a poor note.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel was unhappy with the way his team played against OKC. After the game, he mentioned that they cannot allow a team to get back into the game and lose their focus and intensity, regardless of the situation. This will be an issue he will work on correcting going forward.
Frank Vogel on loss after 26-point lead against the youngest team in the NBA: "You can't ever take your foot off the gas against anyone."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 28, 2021
“You can’t ever take your foot off the gas against anyone.”
Lakers legend James Worthy slammed the LA’s performance, calling it possibly the worst loss in Lakers history. And it is hard to argue with his assessment. But the Lakers can’t harp on this loss and must refocus in order to be ready for their next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Russ and the Lakers will get the chance to avenge their loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder next week at the Staples Center. A repeat showing against one of the weakest teams will not be tolerated by a raucous home crowd in LA. So they must bring their best to put the Thunder away.
