The Los Angeles Lakers recorded a truly embarrassing loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday — and the rest of the NBA took notice.
Portland defeated L.A. right after trading half of their roster away in separate deals, parting ways with CJ McCollum, among others. Damian Lillard didn’t play either, as he has been recovering from abdominal surgery since the beginning of January.
Yet, even LeBron James’ 30 points and Anthony Davis’ 17 didn’t prevent the Lakers from falling 107-105 to the Trail Blazers, who had lost six games in a row before the Wednesday clash.
Later that night, Cameron Payne of the Phoenix Suns joined a Late Night Lake Show’s Twitter space and brutally mocked the Purple and Gold. Unaware the space was live and being recorded, Payne said the Lakers were the Western Conference’s worst team:
On behalf of our #LNLS hosts- @GuruLakers , @DSTacey1913 & the entire @LateNightLakers crew, we’d like to thank @campayne for stopping through & getting on the mic!
Although it’s war when we see the Suns, it’s still nothing but RESPECT at the end of the day, APPRECIATE YOU!! ✊? pic.twitter.com/fKPanHJIi8
— Late Night Lake Show (@LateNightLakers) February 10, 2022
Payne then try to reassure the hosts and listeners the Suns had respect for L.A. — and any other team for that matter. The 27-year-old guard added what he really meant was that the Suns belong among the top NBA teams with the league’s best record of 44-10.
After the loss to the Trail Blazers, the Lakers dipped four games below the .500 mark and were left with less than 24 hours to improve the roster before Thursday’s 12 p.m. PT trade deadline.
James said trade rumors have been affecting L.A., being “like fog, just fog in the air and we’re trying to see what’s on the other side of it.”
Worthy calls loss to Trail Blazers ‘lowest point’ of any Lakers’ season he’s seen
In addition to Payne’s mockery, Lakers legend James Worthy came up with some harsh words to describe the Purple and Gold’s embarrassing loss to the Trail Blazers.
Worthy said the defeat was “the lowest point of just about any season I’ve ever seen as a Laker over the years,” before adding he’s run out of words to describe the team’s mediocrity.
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