The Los Angeles Lakers came out with a win in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, though it was not always pretty.
Although L.A. shot an even 50 percent from the field and got to the free-throw line repeatedly, the team failed to capitalize on easy points.
The Lakers shot just 28-for-43 from the charity stripe, prompting Lakers head coach Frank Vogel to take drastic measures in practice.
Every single player on the Lakers roster was required to make 100 free throws in order to leave Sunday's practice.
Seven of L.A.'s misses came at the hands of Anthony Davis, who was just 7-for-14 from the line despite scoring 29 points on 61.1 percent shooting from the floor.
The free-throw struggles in Game 3 seemed especially resonant since the Lakers got to the line for just 10 attempts in Game 2. If not for a massive performance from LeBron James, it is very possible L.A. could be down in the series.
Los Angeles has been unable to contain Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, even after “Dame” suffered a dislocated finger in Game 2.
Lillard poured in 34 points and repeatedly got into the paint in Game 3, going 13-for-14 from the free-throw line and finding shooters on drive-and-kicks. Backcourt mate C.J. McCollum also got it rolling, scoring 28 points.
The Lakers can feel confident knowing they still hold a 2-1 advantage in the series, especially considering how unstoppable James and Davis have looked.
However, the Purple and Gold franchise need to be better at the line if they hope to avoid a first-round scare.
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