The future was starting to look hopeful for the Los Angeles Lakers coming into this week. They had won five of their previous seven games and were playing well offensively. But they seemingly undid much of that work by losing, 135-119, to the mediocre Houston Rockets on Monday. They looked to Tuesday’s tilt against the Atlanta Hawks as an opportunity to get back on track.
Unfortunately, they would had to go into battle without Anthony Davis, who sat out due to hip spasms.
The Lakers’ defensive woes of late continued early in Tuesday’s game. They gave up 36 first-quarter points and ended the period down by seven points. The situation didn’t get better in the second quarter, and it resulted in L.A. trailing 67-56 at halftime, partly due to its 2-of-13 mark from 3-point range. The team continued to put forth a weak defensive effort by giving up another 36 points in the third quarter, and it resulted in a 138-122 loss.
Interestingly, the Lakers shot 53.3% from the field, and their bench actually did well by putting up 52 points. However, they had trouble from the charity stripe. They made 14 of their 25 free throw attempts.
As was the case on Monday, this game was lost in the effort categories. Los Angeles surrendered nine more rebounds than it earned, allowed 21 second-chance points, and gave up 26 fast-break points. Its overall effort and energy were lacking, and its body language didn’t exactly suggest a confident team that believed in itself.
Yet again, the Purple and Gold have fallen under .500. With a 24-25 record, they’re in ninth place in the Western Conference, and they will visit the Boston Celtics, who have the best record in pro basketball, on Thursday.