NBA – The Lakers are on a four-game losing streak, and the calendar is preventing them from finding their second wind.
Hangover’ is the original title of ‘Very Bad Trip’. It’s also the term Darvin Ham used when asked if the Lakers were suffering the after-effects of their trip to Las Vegas. Two weeks after their success in the first NBA tournament, the results are worth a thousand words: five defeats in six games, including four in a row!
“The effort was there, but it sucks to lose. Four losses in a row is tough…” sighed Anthony Davis after the setback in Minnesota, without LeBron James. “We want to get back in the win column… But I think the effort was there tonight. We played to try and win. We were more united, a bit more confident. But it sucks to lose. There’s no moral victory.
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for you, especially when you’re 500,000 dollars richer”.
Undefeated in the NBA tournament, the Lakers are having a hard time finding their second wind in the regular season. There’s no break, and the games are just one after the other…
“We have no regrets about what we did. It’s just something we have to take into account,” explained Darvin Ham before the match. “It’s new, and it’s created a bit of a whirlwind in terms of travel. But at the end of the day, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you, especially when you’re $500,000 richer”.
For the Lakers coach, it’s a classic case at this stage of the regular season. The players are suffering the after-effects of a long preparation period and the first third of the regular season. What is most worrying, though, is D’Angelo Russell’s level of play. After scoring just 2 points against the Bulls, the former Wolves point guard had only scored 4 after three quarters last night…
“It’s just the ups and downs of an NBA season, isn’t it?” asked Darvin Ham. “There are different factors, different match-ups, and obviously opponents are going to put some of their best defenders on him. He’s got to keep fighting. He has to keep playing. In the course of an NBA season, there are times and periods when things are a little more difficult for you.”
“We have to keep fighting and playing hard and see Saturday as a must-win”
The good news is that Gabe Vincent is back. After his comeback against the Bulls, he could have lined up tonight but Ham preferred to be cautious.
“There are limits and parameters to respect when you try to reinstate someone who has been out for so long. It was the same with Jarred Vanderbilt. And not playing in a back-to-back is something that was decided in advance”.
In theory, LeBron James and Gabe Vincent will be back on Saturday, but the next game will be just as complicated, as the Lakers travel to the Thunder…
“At the moment, we’re in a slump with four consecutive losses. Obviously, we know what kind of team we can be,” said Anthony Davis. “It’s just that we’re not going through the same experience as last season, when we were considered out of contention before reaching the conference final. We just have to start winning again. It’s as simple as that. We have to keep fighting and playing hard and treat Saturday as a must-win.”
The Lakers are really tired!
The banner that was hung to celebrate victory in the NBA Cup is currently being paid for dearly in Los Angeles. Since winning the final against Indiana, the Lakers have lost four of their last five games, including three in a row, most recently in Chicago.
The Californian defence is in dire straits and the team as a whole is running out of steam and energy. Quite simply, it’s on its knees. LeBron James confirms this.
“It’s emotional and physical fatigue. It’s fatigue linked to the toughness of the season,” the King tells the Los Angeles Times. “When you don’t win, then, obviously, there’s a fatigue of frustration.”
Despite this bad patch, Darvin Ham is asking his players to grit their teeth. “We fought as hard as we could. Our competitive spirit is there. We can’t let it get us down or discouraged,” says the coach.
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