Los Angeles Lakers: The good, the bad and the story in overtime thriller vs Hornets
By Ronald Agers
The bad from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win:
The Los Angeles Lakers are so bad starting third quarters!
At the risk of beating a dead horse and stating one of the numerous issues this team faces is their performance in the third quarter. They have been bad all season and bottomed out in Portland getting blown out 42-26. The Charlotte Hornets raced out to a lead with a 12-3 run immediately after halftime. Terry Rozier started surging pressuring the defense and seemingly scoring at will.
Rajon Rondo’s ejection…then Carmelo Anthony’s technical late in the game…then Westbrook lost his cool…
Just one question? Why? The Lakers were on a serious run and he was a major part of that. All of that goes away after he swings and hits Terry Rozier in the head drawing a flagrant two foul. Anyone tired of Rondo’s antics of thinking he can outsmart everybody?
In the fourth quarter…check this out.
- The Hornets were almost dead in the water. Then the Lakers foul LaMelo Ball to send him to the line for two free throws.
- Then Carmelo Anthony goes into the lane after LaMelo received the ball for a technical foul.
- The Russell Westbrook gets a technical foul for not getting back and arguing with the referee for some reason.
- Overall three technical fouls to start the Hornets surge to overtime!
Again…why?
Russell Westbrook can’t shoot…what’s worse the rest of the NBA will let him shoot all night long.
What’s making this worse is that it is starting to look like his shooting form is changing with each shot which is a classic case of a player that has lost his confidence. To his credit, he tried to influence the game in other ways with his playmaking and better defense to get another triple-double (17 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists), but over the last two games, Russ has shot 6-28 from the field.
In overtime, Russ looked scared to death not even looking at the basket. He kept handing the ball to Anthony Davis like a hot potato praying for AD to bail the offense out.