The Los Angeles Lakers have been in a slump recently. The team has lost three consecutive games since the beginning of the week and is in crisis. Despite Luka Dončić’s outstanding performance, the team’s overall performance was lackluster, which prevented them from turning the situation around.
Injuries: The absence of key players has made things worse for the Lakers
On March 14, the Lakers received bad news: Rui Hachimura, Jackson Hayes, and the team’s core LeBron James returned to Los Angeles early for treatment due to injuries. Without the support of these key players, the overall strength of the Lakers was greatly reduced.
The Lakers then traveled to Milwaukee to face the Bucks. Despite Luka Dončić’s season-high 45 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists, the Lakers suffered a 106-126 defeat.
Dončić and Reeves fight alone
Luka Dončić was undoubtedly the highlight of the game for the Lakers. The Slovenian guard was on fire, sinking seven 3-pointers and almost single-handedly carrying the team’s offense. His teammate Austin Rivers also had a good game, contributing 28 points (10 of 17), eight rebounds and three assists.
However, the performances of other players were disappointing. Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith combined for only 3 of 10 shots, and the bench players were collectively silent. The team’s three-point field goal percentage was low, and they simply could not keep up with the Bucks.
The Lakers hit 15 3-pointers in the game, with 11 coming from the hands of Dončić and Reeves. These statistics reflect the Lakers’ overreliance on a handful of players, while the rest of the team failed to provide adequate support.
Consequences of the third straight loss: ranking dropped to fourth in the West
The Lakers’ form has taken a turn for the worse since LeBron James’ injury, and they now have a record of 40 wins and 24 losses. This loss has dropped them from second to fourth in the Western Conference, behind the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies (both with 42-24 records).
What’s worse is that the Lakers even risk further decline. The Houston Rockets (41-25) are right behind them and could threaten the Lakers’ position at any time.
Tough schedule: A challenging week ahead
The week ahead will be extremely difficult for the Lakers. They have a packed schedule, including two back-to-back games, as follows:
- Saturday, March 15: vs. the Denver Nuggets
- Monday, March 17: vs. the Phoenix Suns
- Tuesday, March 18: vs. the San Antonio Spurs
- March 20 (Thursday): Another game against the Denver Nuggets
- March 21 (Friday): Another game against the Milwaukee Bucks
Summary: The Lakers urgently need to get their act together
Despite the best efforts of Luka Dončić and Austin Rivers, the overall performance of the Lakers is clearly not enough to deal with the current predicament. The team needs to find a solution as soon as possible, especially in terms of defense and the contribution of the bench. Otherwise, as the schedule progresses, the Lakers may continue to decline and lose the initiative in the playoffs.
The games in the coming week will be a critical moment for the Lakers to turn the situation around, and fans will also pay close attention to their performance.
