After the Los Angeles Lakers fought hard against the Houston Rockets for four quarters on Wednesday, they came apart at the seams in overtime for a 139-130 loss.
Rockets standout rookie Jalen Green exploded for 32 points on 13-for-21 shooting in the matchup, and after the game, he revealed that his team’s strategy was to exploit one Laker in particular.
Jalen Green: "The game plan was to attack Melo and put him in isolation. We were looking for the mismatch. We were trying to get Melo in it and Reaves in it."
— Anthony Duckett (@a_duckett) March 10, 2022
Carmelo Anthony has certainly had his moments this season, as he has given the Lakers a lift offensively. But his defense has left lots to be desired.
At 37 years old, Anthony simply isn’t the player he was several years ago when he was still an All-Star with the New York Knicks.
For the Lakers, Russell Westbrook seemed to respond to his critics with a great game on Wednesday. He scored 30 points, totaled six assists and grabbed eight rebounds in his best outing in weeks.
LeBron James, on the other hand, struggled to be efficient offensively after missing Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. He did, however, manage to record a triple-double with 23 points, 14 boards and 12 assists while also blocking four shots.
The Lakers have now sagged to a 28-37 record on the season. For now, they remain in the No. 9 spot in the West. However, with just weeks left in the regular season, there’s certainly a real possibility that the Purple and Gold won’t even reach the play-in tournament.
The Lakers will host the Washington Wizards and a few former Lakers players on Friday. L.A. could certainly use a victory.
