Had the Los Angeles Lakers prevented Los Angeles Clippers guard Reggie Jackson from scoring a go-ahead layup in transition with 4.1 seconds to go, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook would be in much cheerier spirits in their postgame press conferences minutes later.
Instead, Jackson spun through the “double-team” of Austin Reaves and Westbrook and converted the tough bucket. AD's fast-break runner rimmed out at the buzzer. The Clippers held on to beat the Lakers, 111-110. The Clippers improved to 27-27 on the season, while the Lakers dropped to 25-28. The Clips have now won five games in a row vs. the Lakers and eight of the last nine matchups.
Broadly speaking, the Lakers lost this game for three reasons: LeBron James remains out with a left knee injury, they were relatively fatigued on the second leg of a back-to-back, and — once again — they competed insipidly for two-plus quarters before a too-little-too-late last-gasp push. It didn't help that Thursday's co-hero, Carmelo Anthony, exited with what looked like a pulled hamstring (he'll be reevaluated on Friday).
Despite all of that — and a 17-point second-half deficit — the Lakers improbably found themselves leading by one point with 12.5 seconds remaining after an ATO alley-oop from Westbrook to AD.
Westbrook shot 2-of-9 in the first half in a game in which the Lakers desperately needed him to produce like an All-Star. To his credit, he came alive early in the final period, sparking a 10-0 Lakers run. He finished with 17 points (7-of-18 FG), six rebounds, four assists, and only two turnovers.
However, it was one undeniable, fatal defensive blunder in the final seconds that directly cost the Lakers a victory.
After AD's slam, Jackson raced up the court, skipping in the process. The instant the Clippers guard arrived in the corner, the Lakers' attack plan was evident: trap! Westbrook sprinted over to assist Reaves. The rookie properly cut off the baseline, forcing Jackson toward the middle, where Westbrook was … not.
Turns out, Russ had inexplicably gambled for a reach-in steal, rather than hold his position. He didn't come close to stripping Mr. October and enabled Jackson to free himself for the game-winner.
Afterward, Charles Barkley — often a Westbrook defender — was right on the money calling out Russ for his irresponsible reach.
The play was a microcosm of Westbrook's flaws, especially late in games (and in the playoffs). His defensive IQ is often questionable, but — on both sides of the ball — it's his misunderstanding of tempo that does him in. On offense, Russ can barrel into the lane or hoist a jumper when milking the clock, or simply slowing down, is more beneficial. In this case, on the defensive end, he went after Jackson with reckless abandon when disciplined restraint was needed. Hold your ground, execute the double, and the game is over. What's the point of sprinting over to help Reaves if you're going to instantly speed past the play?
I'm not here to scapegoat Russell Westbrook, even if his fundamental error cost the Lakers the two biggest points of the game. This result is bigger than him. Westbrook is not the sole reason the Lakers lost, nor the only person to blame for the Lakers' struggles — far from it. In fact, his blunder is emblematic of a troubling theme of this Lakers season, and one that shouldn't, in theory, plague one of the most experienced, prolific rosters in NBA history: unforced errors in key moments.
“I think the most frustrating part is that we can’t finish games,” Anthony Davis said after their collapse against the Hawks on Sunday. “We had a lot of games that we had won and teams come back in and beat us. That’s the frustrating part. We’re frustrated right now because we’re supposed to win this game. And it’s self-inflicted mistakes.”
Just another thing to go over in the film room.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YyYUwMZsLM1wZsFmmFkqs?si=608ed86b5c4c421a
“We talk about it every day,” Malik Monk said about the Lakers' inconsistency. “Every time we’re together we talk about why’s it happening. We don’t know, man. Tired of saying it. We’ve gotta figure this shit out.”
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