Game Debrief: What Went Right And What Went Wrong?

Wasn't his best game, but 14 boards and 65% from the field wasn't exactly a trash effort. I imagine AD gets winded a bit playing all the defense, but he did play 41 minutes today.

 

I hope all the jagoff fans of other teams who constantly talk about the Lakers FT disparity watched this game.

What went wrong: lost to damned PHO after jumping out to a 38-18 deficit and got to within 2 when Max hit a 3 with 3:30 left in the 3rd, but couldn't overcome a slow start.

Castleton now has a wrist issue and "will be evaluated in two weeks" where two weeks means "out two months" for us, lately. Christian Wood: who knows WTF with his fluid knee and bring a shovel over to his neighbor's house? I mean: seriously? Don't even mention how urgently we need the DEFENSE of Cam and Vando. I've already forgotten the name of that guy we got from MIA in the off-season.

What went right: I forgot what time this game started and so accidentally heard about it. I watched it later and prepared to see what was wrong: we didn't get calls like PHO. We shot 8 FTs total and only made 4. Booker/KD/Grayson Allen and Nurkic were 16 for 17 from the line. Nurkic got 22 boards and we got out-rebounded 51-34. How did we only lose by 10 when at the end of the 1st it was 45-28?

We're now 1-2 post All-Star Break. Two days off, then BTB again: Clips/Wiz. Wiz today lost their 11th straight. Let us not be the team that breaks their streak...is all I ask.

All in all, a downer. 'Nuff said!

 

AD always struggles with this strong bulk centers like Nurkic, Valanciunas and alike

May be relevant if you get them in the play-in/playoff

 

or Jokic....

 

At least we have a real center to throw at those big bodies….
Oh wait, Rob forgot to add one of those.
At least we got Christian Wood lighting it up from behind the arc…

 

Lakers said: don't let the door hit you on the way out!!

 

GREAT MUTHUH OF ALL THINGS LAKERS! What. A. Game!

It was an absolute drag for 3Qs: lax D, Clips with their energy up one notch over ours. We were not looking like a good team. Clips were looking like that team that turned it around and is fighting for #1 seed in the West.

Then the 4th Q started. And The Old Man, giving this Laker fan the thrill I remember Kobe giving me. I'm sure I speak for a lot of us.

What went Right: We started caring about D in the 4th.
Lebron James. Lebron James. Bron. Bron. The L-Train. Akron Hammer. The Old Man. Mr. 40,000. King James.

What was so effing cool to watch: down 21 and this 39 year old basically says to himself and his teammates, "Eff this. We gone win this." And he starts shooting like a muthuh. And the mood catches on.

We're still desperate to avoid the #10 or #9 seed, but I haven't felt this good about the Lakers since that damned Tournament win. Ya know, before everything went to jit.

What went Right: I didn't know Cam was back until I saw him on the floor. I saw a guy who looked like Cam and thought, Dinwiddie got his hair cut? A second later I realized it really was Cam. Welcome back, young fellah!

Things We'd Like To See: Russ, in the locker room after this game, being asked by a reporter, "Russ...What did you think of the Lakers' performance?" (ROTFL!)

 

Clips outscored us by 1 in the 1st Q.
Clips outscore us by 13 in the 2nd Q. (This was when my hopes began to sink.)
Clips outscored us by 5 in the 3rd Q. Well, this damned game is...why do I invest so much of my emotional energies into such things as this?, I asked myself, philosophically.

We outscored them 39-16 in the 4th.

That's why I invest all that emotional energy. Ahhh...

 

Wow!
I actual saw LeBron play a lot of defense!
Austin was great as well defensively!
Buh Bye Toileteers!!

 

With 8:30 to go in the 3rd, AR is guarding Beardie at the top of the arc, picks his pocket and goes in for a layup to make the Lakers only down 71-62. I'm thinking we might have a chance. Do we actually have a chance here?

But by the end of the quarter, when Powell hits a buzzer-beater 3 to put them up 19, I thought damn this game sucks.

4th Q starts and Plumlee hits a shot 15 seconds in: down 21. The TV guys - Pache and Reddick - are going into the "keep talking to try and liven this stinker up and people don't switch channels" dealio that they're all taught to do. Cam hits a 26 foot 3: down 18. They didn't even call that play when it happened, that's how much they thought this game was a blowout.

And ya know what? I thought so, too.

Then: that Man showed up for us. Biggest 4th Q comeback in his entire 47 year career or however many years he's been playing.

Jeez, I wish they could find a way to bottle this emotion. It's a very safe drug.

 

4th head-to-head game with the Tenants this year: we won the series, 3-1. Toileteers are a Top 3 in West team, too. It's the last time EVER we play them at Staples/Crypto/Huge Corp Arena as a "road" team...unless we face them in the playoffs. So say they have Zu and PG13 back and we have Vando. I think we can win a series with them. Hell: we already won the regular season series.

If we play the DEFENSE we are capable of, we can beat anyone! (Except DEN) 17 points for the Tenants in the 4th! Lebron alone outscored the Toileteers by 2 in the 4th quarter.

My only regret is the TV feed didn't keep cutting to Steve Ballmer's face during the 4th Q.

MODS: sorry to be posting so much: "Rookie" mistake. I'll quiet down now.

 

Did it ever cut to him by the last 3-4 minutes? That would have been fun to see.

 

I don't know. Does anyone remember seeing Ballmer during this game? Maybe he was away. If so, ya done missed a good one, Stevie Boy!

 

he was there in his usual spot

 

Then the director blew it. His emotions at the end after undoubtedly getting all hot and bothered and sweaty the first 3 quarters would have been priceless. Like the side eye look he was giving Playoff P and Kawhi in the Bubble after the up 3-1 choke job.