There are still supposed to be Lakers fans out there who believe the season can be salvaged. That there is a team to overcome the situation. That the goal has to be to look high, as if this were 2020. Let those fans put on today’s game and see the difference between a real candidate and a mediocre one. And that the Angelenos jumped onto the track today with everything important from their squad ready to play. Basically LeBron James and Anthony Davis together. So far they have played 18 games together (10 wins) out of 55 games. With both, the Lakers may beat teams that are below their numbers, which are currently 3 games under 50% wins. But this year having the two together does not ensure you beat the good guys. Seen today it doesn’t even put you near them.
Very sad that a team with these two players is going to be unable to fight with the greats, but it is what it is and no one can be surprised anymore. The defense, terrifying throughout the season, is breaking down the team. He is swallowing it. If on Saturday the Knicks scored 42 points in the first quarter, today the Bucks scored 38. Plus 42 in the second. Plus 31 in the third. You can’t go out to games with such a level of disconnection, that’s clear, but the structural problems of this squad go far beyond concentration.
In a scenario like this, Giannis Antetokounmpo dedicated himself to doing what he knows best: destroying rivals. The Greek had one of his best games of the season with 44 points and only three misses in 20 shots. The defenses (and the defenses) that he was putting in front of him were falling one by one knocked down like houses of cards. He was his most since Nov. 17 and he didn’t miss a shot until late in the third quarter, when his team had already built a 30-point lead.
The Lakers bit their teeth at the beginning of the last quarter and with a 20-5 start they got to within 10 points, but Bobby Portis’ fifth triple of the night cut off the comeback attempt. During all those minutes and as usual, Russell Westbrook was sitting on the bench. A long time before, while the Bucks destroyed the Lakers at the start with shooting percentages above 70%, the stands were dedicated to booing the point guard. This time twice, after missing a jump shot alone and losing two balls in 12 seconds. Westbrook was half-complaining, still not forcing his statement too much, for not playing in the hot minutes. Which indicates that things in Los Angeles can still get worse if the star raises her voice against his coach. What was missing.
