MIAMI — Following a 41-point drubbing by the Miami Heat and their sixth loss in eight video games, the principal events of the Los Angeles Lakers locker room took possession of their latest skid.
“I’m embarrassed,” coach JJ Redick stated. “We’re all embarrassed. It’s not a sport that I believed we had the best struggle, the best professionalism. Not certain what was misplaced in translation. There must be some possession on the court docket and I’ll take all of the possession on the earth. This is my staff and I lead it and I’m embarrassed.”
LeBron James, who broke out of one of many worst capturing slumps of his 22-year profession to make his first 3-pointer in 5 video games, stated he agreed with Redick’s postgame assessments and defended the teaching workers.
“It’s not on the coaches,” stated James, who had missed 20 straight 3-pointers earlier than making one within the second quarter. “It’s undoubtedly on us, for certain.”
Anthony Davis — who scored a season-low eight factors on 3-for-14 capturing and was usually lumbering up and down the ground — blamed himself. This marked consecutive video games that Davis set a season-low in factors. He had beforehand scored a season-low 12 factors within the Lakers’ 29-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.
“I hate dropping,” Davis stated. “The means we’re dropping, we’re taking part in unhealthy, blown out. I’m not taking part in properly individually. It’s an accumulation of issues and it’s irritating. … And it’s on us. It’s on us gamers, to be trustworthy. We’re getting the schemes. The schemes are on level. But we simply gotta exit and do it and execute ’em. But I simply gotta step up for the staff.”
The loss dropped the Lakers to 12-10. They’re ninth within the Western Conference after opening the season 10-4. In 4 of their six losses over this stretch, they’ve misplaced by 20-plus factors. Their common margin of defeat over that span is 21.8 factors per sport.
“There’s not a way from me that we’re collectively proper now,” Redick stated. “And that’s what we are saying within the huddle. Doesn’t really feel that means. Doesn’t really feel that means. And, once more, we’re in a troublesome stretch. And we’re all looking for it.”
This was the third time the Lakers have been outscored by over 20 factors within the second half, with the third quarter, particularly, being the low level. They have been outscored by 22 factors within the third quarter on Nov. 23 towards Denver in Los Angeles, by 18 factors on Nov. 26 towards the Suns in Phoenix, after which by 16 factors on Wednesday towards the Heat.
“I don’t know,” James stated of Los Angeles’ second-half woes. “We received to determine it out as a result of it’s undoubtedly embarrassing, for certain.”
Tyler Herro was atop the Lakers’ defensive scouting report given he leads the Heat in scoring (23.7 factors per sport getting into Wednesday’s contest). But he shook unfastened within the third quarter, scoring 21 of his 31 factors, together with making seven 3-pointers because the Lakers appeared disinterested and uncompetitive defensively.
Herro’s outburst propelled the Heat from a 17-point halftime lead right into a 33-point lead getting into the fourth quarter. Redick stated the Lakers weren’t executing the sport plan they went over at shootaround, earlier than the sport or at halftime.
“We’re having hassle proper now on each ends with like base-level gameplan stuff,” Redick stated. “It’s odd. It’s very odd. And I don’t know if that’s the journey and the dearth of follow time. … You can’t actually make changes for those who can’t execute the bottom stage protection.”
The Lakers conclude their four-game highway journey in Atlanta on Friday. Redick stated he plans on assembly with the gamers — together with some individually — and the teaching workers to strive to determine a means out of their latest nadir.
James stated he views the staff’s subsequent movie session as a chance for the group to have a number of the troublesome conversations they should have.
“I believe we squash it, for certain,” James stated. “And simply see if you’re individually f—ing up and also you’re making an attempt to depend on everyone else to cowl for you, I believe it begins on people first. All of us must take accountability. It’s nice to see it on movie and tackle it proper there — proper then and there. And then go from there.”
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(Photo: Joe Murphy / Getty Images)
