The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their toughest loss of the season on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting blown out by 43 points, 139-96. This defeat has a ton of Lakers fans freaking out and pressing that big red nuclear button, but they should be doing the opposite.
Following the game both LeBron James and Austin Reaves shared similar responses when asked about the loss, to paraphrase they beat the heck out of us.
These comments from two-thirds of LA's three stars are exactly why fans need to take a deep breath and relax. Obviously, Luka Doncic going down with an unknown timeline for his hamstring injury is problematic, and so is Reaves tweaking his back. At the end of the day, the Lakers will never play a game like that again, and fans need to realize that.
Lakers fans need to see the bigger picture after the team's wake-up call
The Lakers just had their best month of the season, going 15-2 in March, and that can't be overshadowed by a sloppy, injury-riddled game against the defending champs. Coming into this game, the Lakers felt they could beat anyone, anywhere, and they got brought back down to reality. With the playoffs around the corner, this type of loss couldn't have come at a better time.
Losing in that fashion at this time will only make this group stronger. When a team has a coach like JJ Redick, who is so focused on winning every battle and getting this group stronger every day, games like Thursday night give him more fuel.
Sure, there are going to be tough film sessions, accountability, and probably a lot of yelling, but that's what this team needs. Thursday night was an example of what happens to teams when they're too complacent, and that isn't just the players—it's everyone.
There's a reason the Thunder walked through the West last season and won it all—there's also a reason they started the season 24-1. This is an incredible basketball team. By losing like the Lakers just did, everyone on the team has the opportunity to elevate to an even higher gear than they were playing at in March.
For Deandre Ayton, this loss showed him that if I'm invisible on the glass like this in the postseason, the Lakers are going to get laughed off the court. The same goes for Jaxson Hayes.
In March, the Lakers found out their identity, and everyone bought into their roles. That doesn't make the team flawless.
It's incredibly valuable that LA found this out before the postseason instead of in the middle of it. With five games left in the season, one of which is against the Thunder, and likely has no Doncic, the Lakers are going to be tested in a way they never have been this season. Fans will see what this group is truly made of.