Lakers lower than ground

We don’t know who is more downcast this morning between a PSG supporter and a Lakers fan… While Kylian Mbappé’s teammates were sinking in Madrid, the partners of LeBron James bowed on the floor of the last of the Western conference. However, the “King” signed a triple-double and Russell Westbrook achieved one of his best performances of the season. But the Lakers forgot the word “defense” and they conceded 139 points against the Rockets, last in the NBA before the meeting.

Admittedly, it is after extra time, but here they are at nine games under 50%. Fortunately for them, all the pursuers lost, whether it was the Pelicans, the Blazers or even the Spurs.

“We messed up our basketball a bit and they played with confidence throughout the evening” sorry Russell Westbrook. “We conceded 32 and 36 points in the first and second quarters, that’s a lot. Guys who don’t usually put 3-pointers or anything else put in”.

The “small ball” does not work over time

Despite a defense that remained in the locker room or in Los Angeles, the Lakers had the match point. LeBron James starts at the drive, but oriented from the baseline, he prefers to serve Carmelo Anthony who misses the target. The extension is then one-sided with a 7 of 8 on shots for Houston, including a 5 of 5 from 3-pointers. On the one hand enthusiastic Rockets, on the other smug Lakers, convinced that experience will make the difference.

“The opponents are getting high, they are playing the Lakers” recalls Russell Westbrook. “As you’ve seen, when they play the Lakers, guys raise their level of play. It’s important to them. “

What Russell Westbrook forgets to say is that Frank Vogel chose to insist on the “small ball” with LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony sharing position 5. It may work on a few sequences but on the duration of a game is clearly a weak point, and the Rockets have scored 62 points in the key. Who protects the circle in this configuration? At 37 years old, LeBron like Melo discover a new role.

“Kids, we didn’t have 2m13 guys in my neighborhood” however, Melo is fed up about his movement under the panels. “It’s a bit different… Playing against these types of players is a lot of work. You have to be smarter in the systems and in defence. You can’t play the same way, and you have to try to use your intelligence against 2m13 players. “

How do you stay united until the end?

To make matters worse, LeBron James is hit in the knee, but he repeats that if he is on the ground, he can play and he has no intention of giving up.

“No matter what I have, I will probably be on the pitch. It doesn’t matter if we are nine matches below 50% or 9 matches above 50%. It all depends on the sensations in the knee. My passion for basketball and the way I play is not related to our record or things like that. I’m not like that. “

Finally, what must be done to save the season when the team will, at best, go through the “play-in”?

“We have to try to make sure that everyone stays united in the middle of all this” concludes Russell Westbrook. “Because we go through a lot collectively, and it’s easy to break up and no longer trust each other. “