Lakers’ Embarrassing Defensive Possession Sums Up Blowout Loss to Heat

JJ Redick won’t be pleased together with his staff after Wednesday night time’s sport.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been blown out by the Miami Heat on Wednesday, and so they did not appear to have a lot battle in them all through the sport. Defensive effort was at an all-time low as they enabled Tyler Herro to hit 9 threes and the Heat to shoot over 58% from the sector.

One possession in the course of the third quarter completely summed up the dearth of power and energy from the Lakers in the course of the loss. Jimmy Butler possessed the ball and nonchalantly dribbled to the wing. No one got here to protect him, and he delivered a cross beneath the rim to Duncan Robinson. Despite 4 L.A. defenders being close by, Robinson had on a regular basis on this planet to make a play. He selected in opposition to taking an uncontested layup and as an alternative dished the ball out to Bam Adebayo on the perimeter, who swung a fast cross to Tyler Herro for a wide-open three.

Throughout all of that, Lakers defenders barely moved a muscle. No one even tried to place a hand in Robinson’s face beneath the rim and the closeout on Herro’s three from D’Angelo Russell was means late.

Basketball coaches ought to showcase this clip to their staff as Exhibit A of how to not play staff protection. The Lakers’ lack of effort confirmed up on the scoreboard. At that time within the sport they have been trailing by 22, 74–56, and issues did not get higher from there.

Los Angeles went on to lose by 41, surrendering a season-high 134 factors to the scalding Heat. A really dismal efficiency for a staff that is now misplaced six of its final eight video games.