The Los Angeles Lakers blemished their perfect record at Staples Center on Tuesday night, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 109-97. After the game, head coach Luke Walton admitted the Lakers came out a bit “soft” in the first half, allowing the Mavericks to get into a rhythm, and Dallas continued to respond in the second half by hitting tough shots.
Walton also discusses the difficulty of deciding when to go with the younger core to close games, or using the veteran talent (of players like Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov, for example). While Walton wants to win games, he also knows that the young core’s development is the priority of this team.
Forward Julius Randle, who finished with his second double double of the season (15 points, 10 rebounds), agreed with Walton’s assessment that they started out soft defensively, but also said the Mavericks were hitting tough shots. Overall, Randle didn’t feel like his team came out with that ‘killer instinct’ against the Mavericks and talks about what the team lacked without having Larry Nance Jr. to rely on for energy (out with a concussion).
Point guard D’Angelo Russell talks about what went wrong in different quarters of action and what they’ll be looking to take with them for their next game. The Lakers are back on the road this week, heading to Sacramento, then New Orleans and Minnesota.
Julius Randle Admits Lakers Came Out Soft Defensively
Luke Walton On The Balance Of Development And Using Veteran Talent
D’Angelo Russell After The Lakers First Loss At Home
