The Los Angeles Lakers lost their third consecutive game on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers. LA was on a good run before they met Denver Nuggets last week, who broke all the rhythm. However, the game against the table toppers was a mess as the Lakers missed most of their players to injuries. Even LeBron James was out for the night with his sore ankles, which have been bothering him since the season started. Meanwhile, the last night was a mess as the Lakers had the chance to seal the win, but they could not.
Every Lakers fan is angry with Russell Westbrook and the head coach Darvin Ham following the game’s last play. Hollywood had the chance to win the game with only one point short on the night. The win could have brought them out of the losing streak, but luck did not side with the Lakers’ point guard. As the clock was ticking with the last few seconds, Russell had the final moment to dunk the win for the Lakers. But it did not end like the eight-time All-star would have hoped for it.
Lakers’ Loss That Could Have Been Avoided
Sunday night could have become special for LeBron James and the Lakers if they had won. But as LA’s history suggests, they tend to throw the game in the second half. Something similar happened, but the 2020 title winners had the opportunity to rectify their mistakes this time. It was a historic night for King James because he scored his 38000th point in the first quarter of the game. However, the night with a special start does not contain a happy ending for the Lakers.
In the dying moments of the game, Westbrook received the ball in his half. Instead of passing the ball to LeBron, who had a better chance of scoring, he decided to go one-on-one with Joel Embiid. Russ went on the dribble in an unsettling way, clearly unconfident, however, with the intent to win the game. But could not convert the chance as he fell short of the basket, and Joel pushed him aside. The 2016 champ believes he was fouled, but the referees did not signal any free throws. Thus the game slipped because of clumsiness from Hollywood’s reserved point guard.
After the games finished, the fans went after Westbrook and head coach Ham. LA had two timeouts with them, but the first-time coach did not think of using them. Later in the interview, Darvin explained he did not need them and had faith in his point guard. Ham said when one of his best men had the ball against Embiid, he did not feel the need to stop the game. According to the Lakers’ coach, Westbrook should have made the dunk, but it is what it is. Following the loss, the Lakers are now 19-24 in the league. Even with such a bad record, they are only three games away from the 6th position, LA clippers.