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- LeBron James says Lakers loss vs. Celtics was ‘one of the best games we’ve played all year’
- NBA players and media outraged after no-call on LeBron James at end of Lakers-Celtics game
- Al Horford’s brother and sister rip LeBron James after no-call at end of Lakers-Celtics game
- Report: NBA reached out to Lakers immediately after game to inform them that LeBron James was fouled by Jayson Tatum
- James Worthy unleashes angry tirade on refs after no-call on LeBron: ‘That’s one of the worst NBA referee crews I’ve seen’
- Lonnie Walker IV says he’s ‘pretty close’ to returning for Lakers, could play vs. Celtics
- Kevin Durant challenges Shaquille O’Neal for disrespecting Lakers newcomer Rui Hachimura
- Kevin Durant says LeBron James is ‘setting the bar’ for what an athlete wants to be: ‘This is like the greatest that you can get’
- Report: ‘People around the Lakers’ see Zach LaVine as a potential trade target
Darvin Ham’s perplexing response when asked why Lakers used 5-guard lineup late against Mavericks
- Updated: December 25, 2022
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers lost their fourth game in a row on Christmas Day to the Dallas Mavericks, 124-115, and once again, defense was the main culprit.
At one point in the fourth quarter, head coach Darvin Ham went with a five-guard lineup, and after the game, he said he went to such a lineup to try to speed up the pace.
Darvin on using a 5-guard lineup late: "Just trying to get more possessions in the game. … Any of those guys can get the defensive rebound and push it. … It's just trying to play faster at the end of the day."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 25, 2022
Los Angeles did finish with a decent 18 fast-break points, but overall, it was a fairly slow-paced game, which was just what Dallas wanted. It came into the contest 29th in the NBA in pace, and its slowdown offensive style perfectly suits Luka Doncic, who went 9-of-16 and finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Center Thomas Bryant, who has been playing well all season, didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter, as Ham elected to go with an exceedingly small lineup.
That lineup ultimately backfired, as the Lakers were unable to consistently get defensive stops and defensive rebounds in order to generate enough transition baskets to give themselves a chance to win.
There is an old axiom in basketball that teams cannot run if they don’t have the ball, meaning they have to defend very well and prevent their opponents from getting offensive rebounds in order to ignite their fast break. The Lakers have struggled mightily on the defensive end ever since Anthony Davis suffered a stress injury in his foot over a week ago.
They have given up 130, 134, 134 and 124 points during this four-game losing streak, and in the third quarter on Sunday, they gave up a mind-boggling 51 points, as the Mavs turned an 11-point halftime deficit into a huge lead for themselves.
This was the first game of a five-game road trip for Los Angeles. LeBron James and crew will play the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
With a 13-20 record, the Lakers are starving for wins, and if they don’t start stringing together victories, their playoff hopes could vanish in the next few weeks.
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