The Los Angeles Lakers keep finding new and innovative ways to lose and frustrate their fans.
They took a 13-point lead at home versus Memphis only to collapse in the fourth quarter and lose 127-113. The Grizzlies came in 11-23 and ranked at or near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories.
Los Angeles is 17-19 and has lost 10 of its last 13 games after winning the in-season tournament. Memphis, which is an awful 3-point shooting team, turned into a hurricane, shooting 51.1% from downtown, and it seemingly almost couldn’t miss from that distance down the stretch.
Although there is no indication that head coach Darvin Ham is on the hot seat, one has to figure that with each additional loss, the chances of him getting fired at some point increase.
After the game, he seemed to downplay the loss.
Darvin Ham: “I’m tired of people living and dying with every game we play … This is a marathon”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 6, 2024
On one hand, it’s possible Ham said this to defend his players and his organization as a whole.
However, every game carries plenty of importance, even in the NBA, a league that has an 82-game schedule some think is too long. With the Lakers losing games seemingly on a nightly basis, every game carries even more importance for them than for most other teams, especially considering they had championship aspirations just weeks ago.
Despite what Ham said, it is time for the Lakers to adopt a life-or-death mentality about each game from here on out. Perhaps it is time for them to channel the memory and spirit of the late great Kobe Bryant, as they did during the 2019-20 season when he and eight others died in that tragic helicopter crash.