The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a heart-breaking loss Friday night when the team was unable to finish the Minnesota Timberwolves despite an eight point fourth quarter lead. Kobe Bryant had a chance to win the game at the final buzzer, but the shot fell short and the Lakers lost, 120-119.
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Los Angeles had many opportunities to put away the Wolves, but they could not make the necessary plays on both ends of the court. From poor possessions with the ball to a lack of effort on defense, the Lakers did not execute properly in the final minutes. After the game, Ed Davis spoke to the media and touched on the disappointing effort the team showed on defense via Lakers Nation senior writer Ryan Ward:
Ed Davis on loss: “We’ve got to be more disciplined in the defensive end.”
— Ryan Ward (@Lakers_Examiner) November 29, 2014
The Lakers allowed the Wolves to score 120 points while shooting an impressive 57 percent from the field. Even though the Lakers were ahead and in a good position to win the game in the fourth quarter, the players let the lead slip away. It was clear that the level of intensity had fallen and the team was very complacent as the game came to an end.
Los Angeles has now lost four consecutive matches and currently stands at 3-13, the bottom of the Western Conference. The Wolves aren’t a much better team talent-wise than the Lakers, which makes this loss even more disappointing. The conference is already very competitive, and the Lakers are just losing more ground with each and every defeat.
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