Despite a shocking defeat at the hands of the worst team in the league in the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton remains steadfast in his confidence in his team.

Speaking to ESPN's Dave McMenamin after the highly frustrating 118-109 loss at the hands of the 13-51 Suns, Walton stated that his belief in his guys remains intact despite the team's poor form of late:

“I'm confident,” Walton said. “I told you, I believe in our group. We need to play a lot better, but I believe that we can get it done.”

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It is not clear what Walton is pertaining to here exactly, but it likely has to do with the chase for the playoffs. With the loss, the Lakers fell to 30-33, and they are now four and a half games outside the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles still has 19 regular-season matchups ahead of them, which means it is still possible to qualify for the postseason. However, this defeat is definitely a step towards the wrong direction, and to some, is the clearest indication yet that this is going to be a lost season for the squad.

Nonetheless, the Lakers will need to dust themselves off and put this bitter defeat behind them at the soonest possible time. They are slated to face the Los Angeles Clippers — the team that is currently ranked eighth in the West — on Monday, so they will have a huge opportunity to close the gap between their crosstown rivals.