The Lakers were looking to finally get in the win column in their third game of the NBA Summer League, but those dreams quickly fell to the wayside when they took on the Miami Heat on Monday night. After losing to the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles didn’t find much luck against Miami either.
Things got out of hand early for the Lakers, as they fell behind by double digits and were never able to recover. Here’s a brief recap of what happened in the team’s loss to the Heat on Monday.
First Quarter
As they have done all week, the Lakers fell behind early and were never able to recover. They played poorly on defense, especially in transition, and failed to get anything working on the offensive end. They saw too many isolation sets from Darius Morris, and were settling for outside shots.
The stat sheet was lopsided at the end of the first, with Miami leading 33-11. The leading scorer for the Lakers was Robert Sacre, who scored four points – all from the free throw line. Christian Eyenga added three points while Chinemelu Elonu and Darius Morris each scored two. No other Laker scored in the first.
Second Quarter
Things went from bad to worse in the second quarter. A 22-point deficit quickly got out of hand and exceeded 30 in the first few minutes of the quarter. Miami attacked Los Angeles with a balanced offensive strategy, and continued to run all over the Lakers for the duration of the first half.
When looking for brights spots for the Lakers it was difficult to find even one. The leading scorer for L.A. was Sacre, who scored six points in the first half, but only two of them came from the field. They allowed Miami to shoot 55.6 percent from the floor. They also allowed them to shoot 14 free throws of which they converted 12. At halftime the Heat were trailing the Lakers 57-24.
Third Quarter
With a 30-plus deficit heading into the third there weren’t a lot of hopes for a major comeback. The team simply had to look to improve and see what they could get better at. As Mike Brown and Mitch Kupchak looked on, the Heat continued to build their lead.
The Lakers continued to struggle on the offensive end. The team seems to lack a consistent offensive attack scheme, and instead focus heavily on isolation attempts and outside shooting. The ball movement is anything but fluid, and the team clearly looks like a squad that hasn’t spent a lot of time together.
Fourth Quarter
The game had been long-since decided when the fourth and final quarter rolled around at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. This game marked the first time the Lakers were in the bigger of the two arenas in the complex, and they certainly weren’t ready for it. Even the day of practice on Sunday didn’t prepare them for their game against the Heat.
Since many of these players are looking to compete for a roster spot during training camp, it’s possible that many of them haven’t earned that position. If the team continues to struggle, expect the front office to look to the free agent wire for bench help. By the time the game came to a merciful end, the Lakers fell to the Heat 106-56.