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Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham blasted his team for what he felt was a subpar effort in their deflating 110-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night.
“Too many times I felt like our energy was off, our effort was off in certain plays. We didn’t seem to have any urgency. They’re fighting for their life, as well, trying to get into the postseason. And they had that urgency. We didn’t.”
The Lakers (30-34), playing without LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell, were unable to buoy Anthony Davis (38 points) without enough scoring on the first game back from a week-long road trip. Only two other Lakers, Malik Beasley (15 points) and Lonnie Walker IV (10 points), scored in double-figures.
Los Angeles shot 41.9% from the field and scored 42 points across the second and third quarters. Dennis Schroder, who typically picks up his scoring on shorthanded nights, shot 3-of-13 and seemed hindered by the tweaked ankle he suffered on Wednesday.
The Lakers' showing was a far cry from recent post-trade-deadline performances, in which their revamped supporting cast enabled them to handle the absences of LeBron, AD, and/or DLo.
“We can't be locked in for 2 1/2, 3 hours out of a 24-hour day?” asked an irked Ham. “We do basketball for a living. Someone shouldn't have to tell you to be locked in. We do basketball. We get paid millions of dollars to do basketball for a living, which only takes — whether it's a practice, a shootaround, a game — anywhere from an hour, sometimes 45 minutes, to 2 1/2, 3 hours. A sport. We’re not digging ditches all day. We’re not building homes. We’re not doing construction, risking our lives. We’re doing basketball for a living. And we’re playing for one of the most recognizable, historic franchises on the face of the earth — the most. If that doesn’t motivate you to go out and try to be the best version of yourself, I don’t know what will.”
This was as critical as Ham has been about his team all season. For the most part, the Lakers have put forth admirable game-to-game effort regardless of circumstance, but Friday's loss was an ill-timed exception, in his eyes. In truth, the Lakers' lack of shot creation around AD plagued them more so than anything.
The Lakers fell behind by 14 early in the fourth before a too-little-too-late run.
“I feel like we waited til the last minute to turn up the intensity,” assessed Jarred Vanderbilt. ‘We kinda floated around for three quarters. We gotta bring it all 48 … We gotta have the mentality that we're fighting for our lives. Cause we are.”
AD focused on the Lakers' shortcomings during the third quarter and in crunch-time.
“I feel like we played hard. We went out and competed … We just didn't score enough. We did a pretty good job defensively. Shot some bad shots. Some turnovers. Some miscues. But, it just sucks 'cause it's an uphill battle, and every possession counts.”
The loss further ramps up the pressure on Los Angeles as they face a handful of matchups with playoff-caliber teams. The Lakers — hovering outside the Play-In zone with 18 games remaining and without LeBron for the next several weeks and perhaps Russell for a few more games — host the Golden State Warriors (likely with Steph Curry), Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, and New York Knicks over the next eight days.
Ham said the Lakers are dutifully aware of their place in the race, but the focus has to be on their own output.
“I tell the team, ‘The first order of business is to take care of our own business.’ It doesn’t matter what the standings say if we’re letting games slip away or not doing what we need to do to make sure we’re in a position to take advantage of an opportunity. So, that’s the biggest thing for us. We just need to focus on our business and everything else will fall into place like it should.”
Easier said than done — especially when LeBron James is using a scooter to get around.
