LeBron James grabbed the ball from the net and slammed it onto the court, the Lakers defense again wasting a possession with inactivity and lousy execution.
Wednesday, in the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break, they looked slow. They looked unfocused. And, most notably they looked pretty terrible.
In some ways, this was all predictable, the Lakers playing lifelessly with an eye on the upcoming week off after an emotionally and physically draining first 52 games of the season.
But part of the reason the Lakers (32-20) looked so disinterested Wednesday in a 131-119 loss to the Jazz (13-40) had to do with just how locked in they’d been for the last month.
“I just didn’t feel like we were as connected on the defensive end. We had a lot of blowing coverages,” Austin Reaves said. “And then tonight when shots don’t fall, you got to be really good on the defensive end. And we weren’t.”
One game after Luka Doncic marveled at how connected the Lakers have been playing, the team unraveled as their intensity faded. LeBron James turned the ball over on one possession in the backcourt, fumbling the ball on a pass that went to no one. Doncic rifled a pass at Austin Reaves’ feet, the two players getting crossed up on their timing.
They would later connect on a highlight, Reaves hitting a three after a no-look behind-the-back pass from Doncic.
“He is an unbelievable passer that can make any pass in basketball and I was just, at that point, hoping I made a shot,” Reaves said. “I was happy it went in.”
And Jaxson Hayes, suddenly a critical part of the Lakers’ plans, exited with a facial contusion after only eight minutes. The injury forced the Lakers to lean on newly signed Alex Len, who struggled on both ends of the court in his first game after signing Tuesday for the remainder of the season and finished with just four points.
Read more: Lakers newsletter: Luka Doncic and the center of attention
James scored 18, Doncic, hampered with foul trouble, had 16 and Reaves scored 15, making just one of his 10 threes.
“We are approaching this break and we gotta rest,” Doncic said. “For me, I think it’s more mental rest than anything else. But I still gotta work. So I’m excited about this break and I can’t wait to go back to play.”
The Lakers, never fully engaged, made 17 of 30 free throws. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak.
The Lakers, missing Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent for injury-management reasons heading into the break, had noticeably less energy and grit without the two of them. The team returns to the court Wednesday in Los Angeles against Charlotte.
Dalton Knecht, playing for the first time since the rescinded trade with Charlotte, scored 10 points off the bench and Bronny James had a career-high nine points.
“We weren’t physical, we didn’t talk,” JJ Redick said. “Never really got to a place in the game where we were talking and executing the off-ball curl switch rules. And you give a team confidence, you let them be comfortable and this is what happens.
“That’s the NBA.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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