Over the last several weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have increasingly been considered by many to be a legitimate championship contender.
It’s no wonder why. They have seemed reborn after multiple midseason trades that remodeled the supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis while giving them pieces that fit well.
They had the NBA’s second-best regular season record after the All-Star break, as well as one of the league’s best defenses during that span, and they carried that momentum into the first round of the playoffs by decimating the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 by 40 points.
However, every now and then, the Lakers have put forth a dud in games they could’ve or should’ve won.
It happened a few times in the regular season after the trade deadline against the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets, not to mention in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on March 17 in which they led by four points in the waning seconds.
After taking Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors, it happened again, and it’s getting to the point where it could single-handedly prevent them from winning the NBA championship this year.