The Lakers‘ loss in their playoff opener is raising concerns that the team may not be built for the postseason, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The top seed in the West got off to a rocky start Tuesday night as a late lead slipped away against the Trail Blazers.
The starkest difference between the teams was 3-point shooting, as Portland hit 38.2% of its attempts beyond the arc while the Lakers made a miserable 15.6%. Despite having a short-handed backcourt due to the absence of Avery Bradley and an injury to Rajon Rondo, coach Frank Vogel barely used two additions who were brought to the team to provide long-distance shooting. Dion Waiters played just one minute last night, and J.R. Smith wasn’t used at all.
“We’re getting good looks. It’s just a matter of taking our time and knocking them down,” Anthony Davis said after the loss. “That’s been our whole little M.O. in the restart, not being able to consistently knock down the three-ball. … We have to make sure that when the ball comes to us, we take our time and knock down the shot. That’s the only way we’re going to clear that paint.”
There’s more on the two L.A. teams:
- LeBron James had a historic night with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists, but he didn’t take over the game the way “Playoff LeBron” normally would, observes Joe Vardon of The Athletic, who theorizes that James might be a different player without crowd reactions. “Like I continue to say, this is different from the aspect of we’re in the bubble with no fans,” James said. “But as far as me being locked in on the game plan, that doesn’t change. Not one bit. Me going out and making plays, playing at a high level, trying to help our team win — that was the same.”
- Clippers center Montrezl Harrell talks about his grief over his grandmother’s recent death with Mark Medina of USA Today. Harrell left the Disney World campus July 17 and wound up missing all the team’s scrimmages and its eight seeding games. He returned and completed a seven-day quarantine in time for Monday’s playoff opener. “I kind of reflected back after the game once I got to my room,” Harrell said. “That’s when I did the majority of my reflecting. More emotions came out then. It’s just different having somebody here who just means everything in the world to you, and you (were) constantly in communication with them every other day.”
- Coach Doc Rivers reacted to an accusation from Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis that the Clippers intentionally provoke their opponents, Medina writes in a separate piece. Porzingis was ejected from Game 1 for getting involved in a dispute between Luka Doncic and Marcus Morris. “We have some guys who are agitators. I think that’s good,” Rivers said. “But I can guarantee you that wasn’t on our game-plan list. That’s just ridiculous.”
Lebron already making excuses. To put it bluntly you are just not that good of player and can’t hang out west. Struggling with blazers an 8th seed with 1 trick pony lillard, what makes you think they will beat clippers or bucks? Lebron won’t take any criticism because he is Lebron but it will be chalked up to his lack of an additional hof caliber player he needs to win. Even the games leading up dude doesn’t play defense and can’t shoot with his life depended on it. If ad leaves in offseason what an absolute failure for the lakers.
Ad is being exposed as a guy who can’t lead a great offense like ever ( pelicans,Lakers ) he can anchor a great d for sure but on offense not so much !
He was 7 for 25 with all 7 makes assisted by lebron and when lebron sat he was 0 for 8 and zero points ! Davis is so overrated on offense
That’s just no real PG. no distributors. Bigs need guard play.
lakers can dominate against teams without a big man in the center. Houston is the only team without a big man at center. lakers will not get past the better teams.
Haha Mindless, you’ve changed your mind on the Lakers weekly all year long. If they win tomorrow you will be saying how awesome they are all over again.
Curtis I have never been a fan of lebron on the lakers. Need to get your facts straight, your the same guy that thought ad was going to the celtics
Never* been a fan of lebron. I’d also like to see where I stated lakers would win with ad and lebron? You tend to troll most of my posts because your a toxic celtics fan so you can just say whatever you want to try to support your baseless opinions.
I get in your head much? One comment is fine.
LeBron was the least of the Lakers’ worries last night. They got outshot from three by Lillard alone, with KCP and Green completely inept from the outside. Davis put up pretty numbers on paper, but completely disappeared in the fourth quarter. James should’ve made those late free throws, but his supporting cast was pretty lackluster. Besides Kuzma and Morris, everyone underachieved
Good points. 4 straight missed free throws
By AD and Lebron. Make 3 of those and hit shoot 20% from 3 and you win the game. That doesn’t sound so bleak to me.
One trick pony. Stick to baseball lol.
Lilard is a one trick pony he plays zero defense that’s why he tends to give up as much as he scores rendering him relatively useless. Even if he beats lakers he won’t beat clippers or bucks or toronto whom play quality defense
Wow maybe if Lillard was a pitcher. He could have a bigger say in this series. Oh wait he out scored a Laker backcourt 34 – 13. Oh wait he was high scorer of gm. Lakers can’t win if that happens. Useless is what you knowledge if basketball is. Dude you can just read the stats before you post. And u might sound sane. Oh wait you probably don’t what NBA stats are. Let me help you. Buy a Clipper jersey. No one will ever know but us.
Dude, I’m not the biggest LBJ fan, but you can’t put that on him. He produced. The guard play for the Lakers was just abysmal. The way those guards played they didn’t look good enough to start for the Cavs, let alone a #1 playoff seed.
Gotta love some dude on his couch telling LeBron he isn’t good at basketball and of course he is on some “the west” narrative nonsense. Denver, Utah, Dallas, OKC. These aint that good teams lol. Lakers would steamroll them in a series.
One trick pony Lillard? Wow, talk about an awful take.
He has a lot of those.
Waiters and JR are more like G league players. They fit into the worst teams perfectly. They can help them tank and get better draft picks
Lakers are not losing to the Blazers but hopefully they go 6-7 games and Lakers worn out when it’s time to play the Rockets. Avery Bradley needed to play but I understand completely. LeBron probably supported his decision but deep down he’s angry. He’ll never admit it
I would agree with all your points. I don’t think LeBron loses in the first round. That would be crushing blow to the league as a whole and all the money Etc. They’re already missing the gate attendance so they need LeBron to make it to at least the Conference finals against the Clippers for the TV hoopla. I actually look forward to watching every minute of that series.
BUT !! wow Damian Lillard is not making it easy for them. Look out for the Blazers. Hranted, they would have to overcome the refs, Adam Silver, the legacy of LeBron, and every single Advertiser in the NBA to win this first round. Just as we can plainly see with the Mavericks versus the Clippers, there is a serious agenda in sports.
Lakers guard play in 1st gm.
Green- 24 min, 4-12 FG, 10 pts, 0 ast.
C Pope- 29 min, 0-9 FG, 1 pt, 1 ast.
Caruso- 29 min, 1-6 FG, 2 pts, 3 ast.
Waiters- 1:13 min, 0 FG, 0 pts, 0 ast.
Plus their D was not good enough on Dame (34 pts) n CJ (31 pts). Blazers didn’t even play well. Story has some truth. Why no JR. They will need all bodies for Blazer guards. The playoffs your weaknesses get exposed. No Bradley no Rondo hurts. Cause they need the depth. Blazers have a real shot here. Collins coming back makes them better. Remember they are missing Hood, Ariza. Lakers better wake up. I said Kuzma would have to play like all star. For Lakers to make Finals. Kuzma- 30 min, 5-14 FG, 14 pts, 8 reb,
0 ast. Lakers got NO guard play. They won’t win like this. Not looking good for Lakers.
CJ 21 pts. Excuse me.
Gotta love how insane a close game 1 L is making everyone. Blazers are not winning 3 more times with that formula.
The game wasn’t really that close. Portland had a double-digit lead early on while the Lakers made a couple of decent runs to get back in the game. The truth is the Blazers were in control most of the way and the Lakers are forced to play AD and LBJ 40 minutes apiece just to keep the game close.
You mean Lakers no. They can’t shoot and don’t have a backcourt. Blazers probably played their worst gm of Bubble. Collins will be back for gm 3. Lakers bench just got exposed. Wake up
If you knew anythin’ at all about hoops you would know that there is much more to the game than just shootin’!
I’ve forgotten more ball than you will ever know. Try talking about the game we all watched. Not what you are hoping for. I care less about these gms than I care about your opinion.
You are the most humble fan I have ever met, as you believe you know it all! Should be working for NYK, it would make the impossible into reality, they would be even worse than they are right now!!!
BTW no one cares about your trolling in this site!
I have news for you the Lakers bench was an issue long before this game. Lebron will take over like he always does. Lakers in 6 at worst.
That was a lot of rationality for a page that inludes Lebron!
Also, AD only scored on dunks, mostly on passes from LJ. He & others missed a lot of bunnies.
The guards may be prioritized on defense.
LJ got off to a slow start… but their game plan should work.
Slow start??? LBJ had a monster game, a historic game for the record books!!! How is that a slow start? LBJ is in playoff mood (AKA as beast mood)
Its beast “mode not “mood”. Amazing.
I think he will be more 2nd half throughout. Yes he made some amazing passes… it doesn’t seem to matter how long they are, or his body position.
I don’t look at Blazers as great D team. But they played D yesterday. Lakers shot. Stats
5 – 32 from 3PT. That’s 15.6%
34 – 97 FG. That’s 35.1%
20 – 31 FT. That’s 64.5%
OK you haters watching. Blazers only took 79 shots to Lakers 97. Lakers shot 31 FT to Blazers 33 FT (75.8%). Blazers didn’t play well. Only played to win. Cause that’s what they been doing. You’re forgetting Blazers are a better team now. Nurkic, and Collins even though was out. Lakers are in trouble lol. They don’t have the personnel to deal with CJ n Dame.
For the Dodger who is wrong board. The one trick pony. Is going to ride the Lakers out the playoffs.
Hee Haw ……………………………