Los Angeles Lakers: Playoff chances take a big hit after loss to Grizzlies
By Nick Ziegler
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered another awful loss, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies.
After a terrible loss to the New Orleans Pelicans over the weekend, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to bounce back against the Memphis Grizzlies.
On what looked like it could be a really good mini road trip for the Lakers, these past two games might have been what ends the Lakers season. Starting with the Pelicans, the Lakers played really sloppy basketball, as they committed 23 turnovers. Also, they couldn’t stop the Pelicans at all on offense.
Against another struggling team in the Grizzlies, the Lakers once again came up short. The Grizzlies are by no means known for their high-powered offense, but they scored 31 points in the first quarter against the Lakers and finished the game with 110 points.
The Grizzlies really hurt the Lakers on the inside throughout the night, as Jonas Valanciunas and Joakim Noah shined. Valanciunas finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Noah totaled 14 points and 12 rebounds. The production from those two on the inside continued the trend of the Lakers being hurt by opposing big men.
For the Lakers, they did get some good performances from LeBron James, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma. Ingram led the way for the Lakers with 32 points, and James notched another triple-double. However, the poor defense by the Lakers was too much for the offense to overcome.
After the loss, the Lakers are now two games under .500. What has also become very apparent is their struggles on the road. The Lakers are now 12-19 away from home, and that isn’t a record that is going to help them make the playoffs.
While teams above the Lakers continue to give the Lakers life in the standings, the Lakers refuse to grab this opportunity. However, with their last three losses to the Hawks, Pelicans, and Grizzlies, the Lakers are clearly not deserving of a playoff spot as of now.
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Unless things change dramatically for the Lakers very soon, this is a team that is going to miss the playoffs. Next up for the Lakers will be the Pelicans at home on Wednesday night.