Since the Emirates NBA Cup’s inception during the 2023-24 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have found a way to play some of their best basketball during the tournament.
The Lakers went undefeated last year during Cup games and started this year’s edition with a perfect 2-0 record. However, Los Angeles finally dropped a game when they were blown out by the Phoenix Suns in embarrassing fashion.
The Lakers lost the game 127-100, completely wiping out the positive point differential they previously had and dropping them to third place in Group B. On the flip side, Phoenix entered the matchup with a negative point differential and now find themselves atop the Group B standings with a plus-19 point differential.
The loss is costly for Los Angeles as they now face an uphill climb to advance to the knockout rounds of the tournament. In order for the Lakers to win Group B, they have to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder whom they play Friday. They’d also need the San Antonio Spurs to beat the Suns because it would trigger a head-to-head tiebreaker that the Lakers own over the Spurs.
For Los Angeles, beating Oklahoma City will be no easy task as the latter remains the best team in the Western Conference despite Chet Holmgren being sidelined. It’s also unlikely that San Antonio is able to get a victory over a healthy and rested Phoenix squad, so it feels like Los Angeles won’t be getting a chance to defend its title this season.
Regardless of how Group B shakes out, the Lakers should be more concerned about how they’re playing on both ends of the floor right now. The loss to the Suns was embarrassing as the team quit again in the third quarter, something head coach JJ Redick previous said would be an aberration.
Prior to that, Los Angeles also got blown out by the Denver Nuggets which signals that the roster is simply not good enough to hang with the top of the Western Conference. Although LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain elite players, the rest of the roster doesn’t have the requisite size, speed and athleticism to carry them during the regular season.
A win against the Thunder would go a long way in keeping their NBA Cup hopes alive, but it would also do the team good just to snap out of their current funk.
Emirates NBA Cup West Group B standings
1. Phoenix Suns: 2-1, +19 point differential
2. San Antonio Spurs: 2-1, +14 point differential
3. Los Angeles Lakers: 2-1, -16 point differential
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: 2-1, +10 point differential
5. Utah Jazz: 0-3, -27 point differential
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