Los Angeles Lakers Break Two Decade Old Record After Humiliating Loss to OKC Thunder

Contrary to the expectations before the season, the Lakers have severely disappointed so far. In their rough pre-season, the side failed to notch a single victory. For the longest time, it was feared that the high average age would result in injuries for the men in yellow. This has come back to haunt Frank Vogel and co, as the side slumped to their third defeat on Wednesday, against the OKC Thunder. LA missed star player LeBron James, and was heavily reliant on Davis and Westbrook.

Even sans LeBron, the Lakers got off to a phenomenal start. Yet, it was not meant to be, as they ended up on the wrong side of many records. Coming into the game, the side had secured a narrow victory in OT against Spurs. Thus, they had a massive confidence boost, but failed to capitalize. With James out due to an ankle injury, it was a blowout loss for the side from a good position in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

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LeBron James-less Lakers suffer record-breaking defeat at OKC

Despite the circumstances not being as fortunate, Anthony Davis and the Lakers started the match in fine style. Connecting brilliantly and nailing their shots, they raced to 41-19 lead at the end of Q1. In fact, at one stage it was anticipated that they had killed the game off by half-time. But it was not to be. Gilgeous-Alexander and young Josh Giddey came back to haunt the winners from two years ago, meaning that LeBron James’ side now sits outside the top-8.

In the course of the game, there were multiple occasions when it looked like LA had wrapped up the win. At one stage, they led by 26 points, but didn’t convert it into a victory. This resulted in an unwanted record for Frank Vogel. For the first time, the yellow brigade has lost a match after being up by 25 points or more. Previously, they held a 230-0 record in such a situation, in the regular season as well as playoffs. It is their largest blown lead in over 25 years.

The LA Lakers will desperately await LeBron’s return to restore parity. If they are to make even in the play-ins this season, they will need a monumental turn of events. An improvement in form and well-balanced communication will be the key to their success. Additionally, fitness will also be a determinant.