After a 19-point comeback win against the Houston Rockets, Luke Walton and the Los Angeles Lakers had an opportunity to close the gap in the Western Conference playoffs.
As the Lakers were 2.5 games back of the Clippers for the eighth spot, they lost to the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans and rebuilding Memphis Grizzlies.
Considering what is at stake for LeBron James and the Lakers, there still appears to be a lack of sense of urgency as they are four games back now and closer to the 12th spot than making the playoffs.
Following the 110-105 loss to the Grizzlies, Walton tried to remain optimistic under the circumstances, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“We made it a little harder for ourselves, for sure. But that’s what this league is. It’s unforgiving. We’ve got to go out and win games. I thought we played a much better game tonight than we did two nights ago in New Orleans, but we’ve still got to go out and win it. We’ve got to take these games in this league. But I think we’re on the right track to start putting some wins together again.”
With 22 games remaining this season, the Lakers ending their five-year playoff drought is looking bleak. While Lonzo Ball’s injury has certainly impacted their defense, there is no excuse for the team’s consistent lack of effort.
As the Lakers return home from a two-game road trip, they have an opportunity to redeem themselves against the Pelicans, but it remains unclear if Davis will play.
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