The Los Angeles Lakers were ran out of the Moda Center in their latest loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. Former Blazer Carmelo Anthony wasn't pleased in the slightest with the team's effort after the game.
Melo was vocal on the Lakers failing to play as hard as their competitors, who seemed to want it more on Saturday night.
“I think for the most part tonight we just didn't play basketball,” asserted Carmelo Anthony after the Lakers loss. “We did go out there and compete. We didn't play hard. We've only played in spurts. Those guys came out hitting on all cylinders.”
The Lakers were playing without LeBron James, who was out with an abdominal strain, and eventually Anthony Davis, who exiting the game while dealing with a stomach illness that had him vomiting prior to the contest. But Anthony didn't want the team to give any excuses beyond the fact that they just didn't bring it in Portland.
Article Continues Below“It's going to be like that. This is part of the game. We don't know who's going to be in there. We can't control injuries. We can't control what guys are going through physically. So it is next man up.”
The 105-90 final score doesn't fully show the lopsided nature of the game. The Lakers trailed by as many as 34 points before outscoring the Blazers 28-12 in the fourth quarter with the game already in hand.
It's clear with both Melo's and Russell Westbrook's comments after the game that the team needs to overcome the adversity they're facing early in the season. But of course, that's easier said than done.