On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers got some much-needed help when both of their superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, returned from injury.
But the team suffered from the same woes that have been plaguing it all year, and it ultimately fell to the New Orleans Pelicans, 114-111, in a virtual must-win game.
The Pelicans used a late run to achieve victory, and the crowd at Crypto.com Arena reacted to the momentum change, but Russell Westbrook claimed he shut it out.
Russell Westbrook to @mcten on how the https://t.co/zgfUpPn1br Arena crowd affects the team’s performance: “I don’t pay attention to this crowd, to be honest.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 2, 2022
Westbrook’s comment made it seem like he was possibly throwing shade at Lakers fans.
After several very strong games, he failed to do his job well enough on Friday, going just 5-of-15 from the field and not attempting a single free throw.
After the lead switched hands many times through the first three quarters, L.A. forged a decent lead about midway through the fourth quarter, and it looked like the team would find a way to win a contest it desperately needed.
But the Lakers’ offense fell apart, and their defense didn’t pick up the slack.
LeBron James had another monster game with 38 points, but he made very little impact in the fourth quarter when L.A. needed him the most.
Davis, however, did well in his return from a sprained foot with 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
The Lakers are now in 11th place in the Western Conference and a full game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the play-in tournament.
L.A. has just five games remaining, mostly against good or great teams. It will need to win almost all of them to be able to get into the tournament, otherwise this very disappointing season will end up being a complete disaster.
