Most people see the 4th quarter as the moment where NBA games are won and lost. But for the best teams? It’s actually the 3rd.
The start of the second half is when dominant teams truly come out and dominate. They put the competition away so that there is no question of whether the game can be won in the 4th or not. It’s already over by the time it starts.
When you look at the Los Angeles Lakers’ numbers in the 3rd quarter, it becomes clear why the team is 8-9. They’re not only bad in the quarter — they’re one of the worst teams in the league.
The Lakers are -92 in 3rd quarters this season, per StatMuse. The only team worse is the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons, y’all.
The Lakers are -92 in 3rd quarters this season
That’s the 2nd worst in the league only to the Pistons (-93). pic.twitter.com/IGJxc5qEJ6
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 20, 2021
That’s bad for any team. But it’s particularly bad when your team has Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James on it.
They’ve had some hilariously bad 3rd quarters like when the Timberwolves outscored them 40-12 a few weeks ago. They had another on Friday against the Celtics, getting outscored 33-21.
Any team with LeBron James on it always feels like it has a shot at doing something special. But these Lakers? Man, they don’t feel like a title contender right now.
It’s early. Things can change. But they’d better change fast. Because if they don’t? The Lakers might be a play-in team once again.