LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers season discovered a brand new low Sunday, with their 123-95 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans being met by a refrain of boos from the Crypto.com Area crowd all through the night time.
Russell Westbrook, the L.A. native whom the franchise utterly overhauled its roster to accumulate within the offseason, was requested if that kind of reception from Lakers followers can be one thing he takes house with him, after his group misplaced for the ninth time of their final 12 video games.
“Nah,” he mentioned. “Take it house? For what? S—. Take it house? I acquired three stunning children at my home. Why would I take it house? In the event that they boo, they will take their ass house. I ain’t anxious about that. It would not hassle me none. …
“I can solely reply if I take them house: no. However as for our group, I do not assume it is one thing we acquired to take care of. And type of transfer ahead.”
Proper now the Lakers are tumbling backwards, with the loss to the No. 11 Pelicans shaving their lead on even having a spot within the play-in match down to only 2½ video games with 22 video games left to play.
And the trail solely will get extra treacherous from right here. L.A. performs three groups above it within the standings this week — the Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors — after which has a road-heavy schedule for the remainder of March.
“We acquired a tricky stretch with Dallas, Clippers once more Thursday, then Golden State on Saturday,” mentioned LeBron James. “And we nonetheless acquired 10 highway video games this month, or March, so it do not get simpler for us.”
The Pelicans loss was notably discouraging, with Westbrook and James coughing up seven turnovers apiece on an evening that the Lakers had 23 as a group, resulting in 25 factors for New Orleans.
The Lakers have been outscored 44-25 within the third quarter — when the boos first began to be heard from the stands — and trailed by as many as 32 at one level.
“We’re not capturing the ball effectively from the perimeter and the paint’s clogged and we’re attempting to drive inside — with the go, with the bounce — and it is resulting in plenty of turnovers,” mentioned Lakers coach Frank Vogel after his group shot 7-for-34 from 3 (20.6%). “And we’re not shifting that effectively defensively. So, we weren’t superb on both finish tonight.”
Whereas Westbrook once more talked about the group’s championship aim — an idea that appears as distant as Anthony Davis‘ assertion from earlier within the season that L.A. was primed to run off a 10- or 12-game profitable streak at any second — James provided a much more meager benchmark to try for.
“All of it begins with a win. That is what it begins with,” he mentioned when requested how L.A. can start to show issues round. “Attempt to get off of this slide and get a win, and study from that win with belongings you did effectively, issues that you just did not achieve this effectively. So it at all times begins with that, and how one can attempt to get right into a game-by-game scenario.”
When requested the way to transfer ahead from the loss, Vogel mentioned the Lakers ought to merely “flush it,” and switch the web page, however Westbrook pointed to a discouraging development that does not appear so easy to shake.
“Groups are coming in, taking part in more durable and I imagine that is type of their scouting report: Simply play more durable than them and see what occurs,” Westbrook mentioned. “And it is working. Till we decide and have the willpower that we’re not going to permit it, particularly on our house ground, it can proceed to occur to us.”
Dwight Howard, who acquired his second straight begin at heart with Davis nonetheless sidelined with a foot damage, provided an optimistic take, whereas acknowledging the group is teetering on the sting proper now.
“It is actual straightforward to surrender, throw within the towel and say destructive issues,” Howard mentioned. “So, actually perplexed. However we acquired to remain constructive. We will not sulk in defeat and we won’t give up on one another. I do know it has been a really tough season, however nah. I believe that’d be dangerous.”