The Los Angeles Lakers were mathematically and mercifully eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday after falling 121-110 to the Phoenix Suns (without LeBron James), not long after the San Antonio Spurs destroyed the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers (31-48) have lost seven straight games and 17 of 21 since the All-Star break. Their weird, awkward, and joyless 2021-22 season can, finally, be put to bed. After the loss in Phoenix, Frank Vogel, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony could no longer preach the notion of “figuring it out” or “when we get healthy.”
Instead, they were appropriately remorseful.
“Extremely disappointed,” Vogel said. “Disappointed for our fan base. Disappointed for the Buss family, who gave us all this opportunity and we want to play our part in bringing success to Laker basketball and we fell short.”
Frank Vogel said the Lakers will "finish out the season with pride" but he'll meet with the front office to determine how to manage the final 3 (meaningless) games
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) April 6, 2022
Melo similarly accepted defeat.
“This was a season we just didn’t get it done. We had the tools … and it's nothing else more than we didn't get it done. You can't make no excuses about it. We just didn't get it done.”
Westbrook called the season “obviously disappointing on many levels,” but sought a positive perspective.
“Honestly, me personally, it’s a situation that I was just blessed to be able to be in,” he said. “Learned a lot about a lot of different things within myself. I was able to just stay real faithful and true to what I believe in, regardless of what was ever thrown our way, or my way. … I'm super-blessed, regardless of whatever is thrown my way, I'm covered by faith.”
Westbrook said he hoped to be with the Lakers next season. Anthony said it was too soon to think about that.
Anthony Davis — who limped through an elimination loss to the Suns for the second season in a row — reiterated his sentiments from Sunday, on what could have been had the Lakers just stayed healthy (which was always unlikely).
“Our goal was to win a championship,” he said. “Feel like we had the pieces, but injuries got in the way of that. And that was the difference in the season. Even though we lost games where all of us was on the floor — me, Bron, Russ — I think we're three great players, but we would have figured it out if we logged more minutes together. But we weren't able to do that.”
AD just about sums it all up here https://t.co/IlhaplhS7B
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) April 6, 2022
“Anger. Disappointment,” AD added, when asked to describe his emotions. “Knowing what it takes to get to that championship level and the last two years, the last two seasons, we haven’t been able to do that.
“Sucks for me, sucks for our team, for our organization,” he added. Gotta recap now and see what's next.”
AD: "We would love to see, the world would love to see, if we could have been healthy for all 82."
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) April 6, 2022
The Lakers will play three more (meaningless) contests against the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Nuggets. Vogel said he'll meet with the front office to determine how to manage those games. Carmelo, Russ, and AD each said they were unsure how much they would participate.
There are only two pertinent questions that remain for this regular season: Will the Lakers — the preseason favorite in the West, with one of the most prolific rosters in NBA history — lose 50 games? And, more intriguingly, how much does LeBron James, who has missed the past two games with a left ankle sprain, truly care about becoming the oldest player in NBA history to win the scoring title?
LeBron has to either appear in two more games or play one more and basically up 60 to be eligible. So, at least there's that.
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