A 41-point loss against the Heat on Wednesday was the Lakers’ eighth-largest deficit of defeat since the NBA/ABA merger.
Losing is bad, but making history while doing it is even worse. That’s exactly what the Lakers did on Wednesday, losing to the Heat 134-93.
The team collectively gave a woeful performance, but losing by 41 put them in the record books for all the wrong reasons. This loss was the eighth-largest margin of defeat for the franchise since the ABA/NBA merger. They also allowed the Heat to score 24 3-pointers, setting a new franchise record in made baskets from beyond the arc.
Tonight was the 8th worst loss in the last 47 years (since the ABA/NBA merger) by the Lakers. (Via @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/OQtOqer21b
— Jorge Sedano (@Sedano) December 5, 2024
When you play for a team like the Lakers that’s participated in thousands of games since the merger, the last thing you want to do is have a loss that puts you in the top ten biggest blowouts during that span.
Postgame, everyone associated with the Lakers discussed accountability and taking responsibility, but far too often this season, L.A. hasn’t brought the right level of compete into games.
JJ Redick: “I’m embarrassed. We’re all embarrassed. It’s not a game where we had the right fight, the right professionalism … There has to be some ownership … I own this but there’s going to have to be some ownership on the court”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 5, 2024
During this road trip, the Lakers have been finding new and interesting ways to embarrass the city they represent.
First, they mustered just 80 points on Monday’s loss against the Wolves, the team’s worst offensive game since Jan. 22, 2017, when they fell to the Mavericks 122-73.
Now, for their encore on Wednesday, they acted like Heat fans and didn’t even show up to the Kaseya Center. They were run out of the gym and forced coach JJ Redick to empty his bench with under nine minutes left in the game.
The Lakers have now lost six of their last eight, are 12-10 on the season and have been beaten by 20 or more points on five different occasions.
Right now, everything is trending down and what’s concerning is that these losses weren’t against the best teams in the NBA, but versus average opponents struggling to stay above .500.
Sure, the Lakers are dealing with many injuries and that hasn’t helped their cause. Austin Reaves has missed three games, Jaxson Hayes is out with an ankle sprain, and Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt have yet to play this year. Still, no context justifies these results.
Simply put, whether you want to talk about the Lakers scoring just 80 points or allowing 134, this roster has not executed at a satisfactory level on either end of the floor.
Redick can spend all the time he wants in dark rooms after losses. However, if things don’t improve, he will discover just how cold Los Angeles can be in a winter without victories.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.