Lakers—Kings Three Observations from Another Embarrassing Loss
Just when people think the Lakers may have turned a corner and might start to play more consistently, they lay an egg like they did against the Kings. As flawed as this Laker team is this year, they sure know how to keep fans stressed and at the edge of their seats. 24% of Laker games this season have gone into overtime. The Lakers fell to 4-1 in overtime games this year, and there were so many instances in the game where the Purple and Gold could have wrapped this game up with a W during the fourth quarter.
The Lakers returned from their five-game road trip, and looked to get back comfortable at home. With only Kendrick Nunn and Trevor Ariza listed as inactive, the team was the healthiest they have been all season. The Lakers scored the first eight points in the fourth quarter, and looked poised to run away with a win. But the Kings outscored the Lakers by 13 the rest of regulation and forced this game into overtime.
Rebounding Remains an Issue
The Kings outrebounded the Lakers 56 to 51 for the game. The margin definitely felt much worse, as the Kings crashed the offensive glass with a 16 to 9 edge. The second chance points were the primary reason the Lakers ended up losing this game. With the Lakers up two in regulation, they failed to secure a defensive rebound, and allowed the Kings three shot attempts to tie the game. During crunch time of the game, it seemed like for every shot attempt the Lakers got, the Kings got two to three looks.
Third Quarter Consistency
After outscoring the Knicks by 10, and the Pacers by 2 in the last two third quarters, the Lakers looked to continue to strive for consistency out of the second half. Within the first three plus minutes, the Lakers threw the ball away five times, falling into a 4-10 hole to start the third quarter. The team had seven turnovers in the quarter overall, but Russell Westbrook had 13 of his 29 points in the third, which helped the team win the third quarter margin for the third straight game.
Anthony Davis Shooting Woes Continue
After missing five more three pointers tonight, Anthony Davis is 7 for 41 on the season. That is good for a paltry 17%. The frustrating thing is a lot of his looks are wide open. As a career 30% shooter from the perimeter, it seems like this is mostly a mental thing at this point. He is currently on pace to set a record for the worse 3-point percentage for any one player.
