Game 4
The Lakers achieved a goal that was set
in training camp. That was accomplished
Monday Night win against the Jazz which
secured the 1st seed in the Western
Conference. The Thunder coming in as
the 6th seed but still jousting to move up
and avoid going down. The game would
turn into a 1 sided affair and it wasn’t the
team that was the favorite. The Thunder
shocked the Lakers with a resounding
105-86 win.
The 1st quarter was another slow start for
the Lakers once again shots weren’t
falling and shot selection was very
questionable. The Thunder were able to
take advantage in the middle of the
quarter outscoring the Lakers 16-8 to
close the quarter taking 26-18 lead into
the 2nd quarter.
The Lakers woes would continue in the
2nd quarter with Anthony Davis struggling
and Lebron coasting the Lakers came out
with a small run but Chris Paul and Danilo
Gallanari combined for 18 points in the 1st
half pacing the Thunder with a full team
effort that very crisp throughout the 1st
half.
AD struggled to get in a groove he had 9
points at the half but that would be his
total for the rest of the game as well also
he was hindered by 3 fouls that led him to
the bench midway through the 2nd
quarter.
Lebron finished the half with 10 points in
the half but seemed as if he could’ve
scored more with the way he was able to
get to the rim with such ease but missed
plenty of close shots. The Thunder would
take a 52-45 lead going into halftime.
The 3rd quarter was where it fell apart for
the Lakers in this game. The Thunder
moved the ball precisely and kept scoring
also making a living at the Free Throw
line. The Lakers would continue to
struggle and be down by 20 at one point
of the quarter. The Thunder would take a
big lead of 81-66 into the final Quarter.
The Thunder proved to be too much in the
final quarter with AD in foul trouble and
struggling to score made it tough on the
Lakers to good solid run. Lebron would
finish as the Lakers top scorer with 19
points and would snatch 11 rebounds.
Chris Paul would lead all scorers with 21
points to help the Thunder improve to 2-1
in the bubble.
My 2 Cents
The Lakers took the night off. The energy and effort were lacking. This is no surprise with a back to back looming against the Houston Rockets who have 2 of the most lethal scorers to ever play the game. The Lakers seem to be a team that is a bit bored and there mindset has been playoffs since the bubble started but they know they needed to win early to secure the top seed. That’s done now so the motivation has wained a bit.
The Lakers lost the rebound battle for the
3rd straight game that didn’t occur during
the season but with Dwight Howard sitting
out it may have played a factor in this
game.
His defensive presence was sorely missed
as he is the anchor for that 2nd rotation
and in crucial situations of games. The
Lakers also committed an absurd amount
of fouls that led to the Thunder shooting
almost 90% from the charity stripe.
The Lakers missed 10 Free Throws which
was another factor you can throw in on
this loss as well. The Lakers had another
poor shooting night 35.8% from the field
and 13.8% from the 3 point line. This
needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.
The bright spot for the Lakers was the
bench who had 38 points in total and
outscored the starters for the 2nd time in
the last 3 games. Dion Waiters had 14
points and Kyle Kuzma had 10 points to
lead the way both are screaming for more
playing time with their play over the last
few games. Coach Vogel will have to
make that adjustment.
Quinn Cook brought some good energy in
His spot minutes which I feel needs to be
increased due to inconsistent play of the
Lakers starting backcourt. Quinn has
championship experience from his time
with the Warriors and plays well with the
Lakers top players hopefully this get
recognized soon and he gets more
minutes.
Stay calm “Laker Nation” I saw many
armchair coaches upset with the
performance. This is a tough situation to
play in. If you don’t get going early or if
you get stagnant at crucial spots in the
game you lose. The Lakers have already
accomplished their regular season
mission.
Staying sharp is key to the playoff run but
being healthy is the most important
element to get to the “Golden Ball”.
The Lakers needed the reality check that
games are tougher as the league in the
bubble moves along.
The Lakers look to bounce back tonight
against the Rockets who have had some
thrilling games to start their bubble
journey. This game means more to the
Rockets but don’t expect the Lakers to lay
down.
