Lakers Win Ugly as Bench Folds
By Paul Peszko
Another supremely ugly win for the Lakers as they gave up a 19-point lead not once but twice. So, how does a team that expects to win the NBA title give up two 19-points leads against one of the worst teams in the NBA?
There’s only one way. Porous defense.
The Los Angeles Clippers have only won 18 games this entire season. But they almost won their 19th against the leading team in the Western Conference.
With their starters on the bench with ice packs on their knees, the Lakers watched their second 19-point lead dwindle down to five points on a 14-0 run. At that point, the wraps and the ice packs came off, and the starters had to go back in the game.
But their knees weren’t the only things that were cold. Before they knew it, the Clippers had extended the run to 20-2 and the starting five found themselves in a dog fight.
Even the usually reliable Kobe Bryant missed three crucial free throws.
The Lakers started off fast building a 13-point lead, 30-17 at the end of the first quarter. They extended that lead to 19 points midway through the second quarter as the bench actually looked solid at both ends of the court.
However, no sooner had that lead stretched to 19 that the Bench Mob let up on defense, and the Clippers chopped nine points off the lead by halftime.
The Lakers began the second half up 54-44, but the this time the starters gave up six quick points before picking up the intensity. All in all, however, it was a very strange quarter that saw both teams squander away scoring opportunites.
The Lakers barely outlasted the Clippers 14-12 in the quarter for a 12-point third quarter lead, 68-56.
Again the Lakers extended their lead to 19 points in the third quarter. But it was all Clippers after that as they went on a 20-2 run that began against the Lakers bench and ended with all five Laker starters in the game.
The Lakers finally managed to pull the game out, 88-85
Part of the problem was missed free throws. The Lakers only shot 17-for-29 from the line. The rest of the problem was team defense. The smaller Clippers killed the Lakers on the boards, 48-38, and especially on the offensive boards, 16-9.
Their effort against a team that they should have dominated is very disappointing this late in the season. Instead of playing their best basketball going into the playoffs, the are playing their worst. Contrast the Lakers near loss to the Clippers with the Cavaliers dominant win against a the San Antonio Spurs, a playoff team, 101-81.
Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 18 points each. Odom also had ten rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season. Pau Gasol added 14 points with 9 rebounds.
Rookie Eric Gordon had a game-high 24 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Zach Randolph had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Baron Davis had 11 points but missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime.
What is particularly disturbing is the chalant attitude of Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton. Neither felt very disappointed in the way the bench gave up the huge lead in the final period.
Farmar feels that a win is a win, and that’s all that matters. Walton felt that Phil Jackson didn’t need to put in the starters. He actually believes the second unit could have held the lead.
Is he delusional? About the only thing the second unit can hold is their breath, waiting for Andrew Bynum to return. After tonight’s dismal performance, all of Los Angeles is holding its collective breath waiting for their Savior, Andrew Bynum, to resurrect the championship hopes of the Lakers.