The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing some of their worst basketball of the season lately. They have lost three games in a row and seven of their last 10, and their last two losses have come against inferior Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic teams despite being back at full strength.
On Saturday, the Bulls ran them over by 31 points, and on Monday, the Magic simply outplayed them in the second half en route to a 118-106 decision. The Lakers’ defense, which had been so strong for a long stretch of games, is now looking problematic, and they’re also having some issues on the boards.
One would think that their injured players who recently returned — especially LeBron James and Rui Hachimura — would have fresh legs. But head coach JJ Redick said after Monday’s loss that the team looked tired.
“I think a couple guys, maybe from the schedule and being in and out of the lineup and a couple guys being injured, I don’t know, we just looked tired. And I don’t know what contributes to that. That happens periodically throughout a season where the group gets tired. That’s what it feels like right now. We weren’t able to sustain our level of intensity that we started the game with and our guys I thought started out really well.”
There is no time for the Lakers to rest or take it easy, as they have just 11 games left in the regular season and continue to be in a fight for playoff positioning. They currently have a 43-28 record and are in fourth place in the Western Conference, as they hold the tiebreaker over the Memphis Grizzlies, who are also 43-28.
Monday’s game was the first of four straight on the road. They will visit the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and the Grizzlies between now and Saturday before returning home to face the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors next week.
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