Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
If the Lakers weren’t in the playoff mix then tonight’s stunning 99-76 loss to the Phoenix Suns might have seemed much worse than it truly was. If this loss had occurred with a healthy Kobe Bryant in uniform it might be a much different narrative.
Had a loss like this occurred just over a month ago then odds are we’d all be running for cover to hide from that falling sky. Instead a season low 76 points and an ugly 23 point loss to the lottery bound Suns seems only like a minor setback. At least that’s the hope…
Hopefully all those bricks the Lakers laid tonight were the result of tired legs as Mike D’Antoni still refuses to expand his rotation on the back end of back to backs.
Hopefully the complete collapse in the fourth quarter was just the product of veteran legs needing a night off. Entering the final frame the Lakers trailed by just five. But a 10-point quarter will never be part of a winning formula no matter the opponent.
For the most part the only real opponent the Lake Show faced tonight was looking back at them in the mirror.
Shooting 33% as a team including 22% from deep pretty much put this win in the Suns’ lap.
Steve Nash and Dwight Howard combined to go 12 of 35 from the floor. However both men outscored the Suns’ leading scorers. It was just that kind of night.
Listless, lackluster and uninspired the Purple and Gold melted in the fourth in Phoenix. Thankfully they’re still holding steady for the 8th seed as the Utah Jazz continue their collapse.
Yep, had this exact performance occurred just over a month ago we’d all be rolling our eyes. Instead, we’re just shrugging our shoulders.