An easy day at work quickly turned into a nightmare for the Lakers. Despite the Mavs playing without their two best players, JJ Redick’s squad got blown out by double digits. Sure, the Lakers are in a much better position than they were last season, sitting sixth in the West standings. But they have been unable to stay consistent. And that could be an emotional rollercoaster for many teams. However, Max Christie assured that that’s not the case with the Purple and Gold franchise as they prepare for the upcoming home stand!

Addressing the emotional whiplash of their up and down season, and how the Lakers plan on avoiding another slump after last night’s loss, Christie said postgame, “I think for us honestly as a team, I think we do a decent job of not getting too high or too low emotionally. It’s a big message that we had at the end of the game today just trying to stay the course.”

Well, it’s a long season and the NBA is all about runs. One stellar stretch can turn things around and it’s important to focus on what’s ahead rather than what just happened. Christie continued, “We’re not gonna let tonight’s loss be the end all be all for us. We’re just gonna try to stay consistent, try to stay together as a team. We’re going to look at the film and we’re going to get better from this. We’re not gonna overreact to a loss like this even though we absolutely should have won.”

Yes, everyone expected the Lakers to come out on top, especially because there were no Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic to help the Mavs. But Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy’s impressive performance off the bench took the LA franchise by surprise. However, what’s done is done, and Christie is hopeful about the future, “It’s hard to win in the NBA. So, for us as a team, we’re gonna stay together and we’re gonna win these next few at home.” And he is not the only one with similar expectations!

Austin Reaves and Lakers legend hoping for a turnaround during 8-game home stretch

Well, the next couple of weeks will be extremely crucial for the Lakers. That’s because their next eight games will all be played in LA, giving them a home-court advantage. Sure, there is one Clippers clash during this stretch which will be played in Intuit Dome, but LeBron James and Co. don’t have to travel for it. And that could help them regain their energy because the team was looking visibly tired during some of the plays last night.

When asked about how the upcoming home stand will help them, Austin Reaves said, “I mean it’s always good to be home. Sleep in your own bed, be around friends and family… So, just kind of you know get back to clicking on all cylinders and playing the game the right way.” Meanwhile, Lakers legend James Worthy also shared a similar sentiment about playing at home, “Getting home, staying in your own bed, you know being with your family. That should help them kind of regroup.” And he set the bar high for the team, “You wanna win at least six of those at home. At least six.”

Obviously, winning six out of the eight games would put the Lakers at a massive advantage by the end of this month. But they will have to stay locked in throughout and play with a sense of urgency unlike what they did against the Mavs last night. Do you think JJ’s squad is up for the challenge?