Defense Is Optional As Blazers Run Over Bored Lakers
In Portland, Oregon the Lakers lost their eleventh straight road game. The loss set a franchise record for sorrow on the road and was made possible by the Lakers listless and haphazard effort on defense. For once, Damian Lillard was just a good basketball player, not a great one. He finished with 15 points and 8 assists. The Lakers had no answer for Wesley Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge who collectively poured in 38 points, along with 17 rebounds and 5 assists.
Unable to make shots, the Lakers 37% shooting sealed their fate as the underdogs who were out classed. They were unable to keep up with the Blazers ball movement and scoring 32 points in the first quarter and 34 points in the third quarter. On offense, there were very few Lakers highlights unless you consider the rare Robert Sacre mid-range jumper a thing of beauty. Wayne Ellington did his very best to keep the Lakers from falling apart. He had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Wesley Johnson was nice off the bench, 45%, 50% from three and 12 points, which was more than Tarik Black, Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin scored combined.
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Tarik Black didn’t score and only took one shot. Carlos Boozer was 1-11 and scored 2 points. Jeremy Lin was 0-6 with 2 points.
Blame it on the All-Star vacation playing with the Lakers psyche as they went through the motions and were outscored in the paint, outscored on fast break points, outrebounded and generally outhustled. Or, blame it on this dreadful team and the apathy that has suddenly set in like the plague.
Nick Young’s season continued to spiral downward as he injured his foot and left the game in the third quarter with his head in his hands. He ended up with 9 points and another bad shooting performance, 30%. It was the thirteenth time this year Young scored 9 points or less, easily surpassing last year’s mark of seven games in which he scored 9 points or less. Young is being aggressively defended which is forcing him to go to areas of the floor and play off the dribble in an insolation style that is not his bread and butter.
Post game, Byron Scott did his normal taciturn, veins popping, teeth clinched “the team (Blazers) was more aggressive” speech that’s gotten particularly tired. Over the break he wants the Lakers to reflect on how they got here. That’s easy.
No defense. Bad offense. Limited ball movement. Selfishness. Laziness. Injuries. And bad coaching.
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