This usually meant I listened to a lot of truth that made it abundantly clear how errant my ways were. Thursday’s Laker loss to the Spurs began somewhat the same way. All you needed to do was recognize the warning signs.
Eighteen painstakingly earned first quarter points in the first twelve minutes of regulation set the bar low. I realize some will argue that the Spurs only had four more by the same time; but the rule had already been established: Lakers, you are the cat that will be chasing the elusive mouse, tonight donning a Spurs’ jersey.
From the tipoff, it was apparent L.A’s offense had shown its shadow like the groundhog the day before.
Instead of six weeks of winter to follow, the Lakers revealed to all the fans collected in Staples Center that it was going to be an ugly, grind-it-out shooting affair for the Lakers.
Other than the second quarter spurt when L.A. rallied to a seven-point lead, the Spurs spent most of the time dictating.
Dictating? Here’s what I mean. The Lakers are on their home court, and you get the sense that the Laker team is collectively thinking to themselves,
“Hey, we’ll hang tight until the end, make our last second gasp, and bring home the win.”
Hmm. That sounds more like gambling than playing to win. Another note on that: that’s visiting team mentality against a superior foe.
Nevertheless, time and time again, on their home court or not, the Lakers are simply hanging onto the coattails of their opponents.
And then, if a few plays go their way in the last quarter, they’ll win and smile when they’re pulled for postgame interviews. Against Houston on Sunday night and that amazing win against a lowly Clipper team earlier in the ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
