The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost three regular-season games in a row. On Monday night, the game went to the last seconds as the Lakers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers by just two points, the final score being 104-106. LeBron James held his ground but missed the game-tying two-pointer. However, the NBA world once again lambasted Russell Westbrook after an incident in the closing minutes.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers throughout the game. LeBron recorded 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists during his 38 minutes on the court. Standing by his side, Davis scored 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists during his 36 minutes. But the night was owned by Damian Lillard, who scored 41 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. And Lillard’s highlight?3-pointer in the closing minutes sealed the Blazers’ triumph.
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Another key weakness for the Lakers was their shooting. It could arguably be felt throughout the game. The Lakers had a 3-point percentage of 18.2, while the Portland Trail Blazers had a percentage of 37.
Russell Westbrook’s missed shot robs LeBron James’ Lakers of their first victory
Russell Westbrook‘s performance was arguably decent in comparison to his previous games. During his 28 minutes on the floor, he scored 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. However, in the last 30 seconds of the game, the Lakers were leading by 1 point, and with 18 seconds on the shot clock, Westbrook missed a two-pointer shot.
USA Today via Reuters
Oct 23, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) misses the game winning shot against Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
And just after Westbrook missed his attempt, Damian Lillard nailed a 3-pointer, adding salt to the wound. With only 3 seconds on the clock, the Blazers were leading by 2 points. LeBron James took a two-pointer attempt to tie the game but missed. Soon after the game, the clips of Westbrook’s blunder were surfacing through the internet, and the fans were furious. One fan said, “I want him gone I’m done.”?
Here are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:
Up by a point, 12 second difference between shot and game clock. Milking the clock and possibly getting an offensive rebound could ice the game. LOOK WHERE HIS TEAMMATES ARE WHEN HE DECIDES TO SHOOT. I just can't fathom the rationale but it's hilarious pic.twitter.com/1sG7ZnqEUh
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) October 23, 2022
Run the clock down, get AD the ball on the block, get a nice 2. Up 3 with like 10 seconds. Or do what Russ did.
— Nicky Trix (@Nicky_Trix) October 24, 2022
That play lost us the game 😭😭
— Mister IA (@itsmisterria) October 23, 2022
russ stan’s still goin try and defend this dawg ain’t no way 😭😭😭
— jay (@akadl0) October 23, 2022
https://twitter.com/GoatAKALeBron/status/1584308359238295553?s=20&t=NoVXr8fQLtJCpGGrFa0fUg
I want him gone I'm done
17 SECONDS ON THE SHOT CLOCKpic.twitter.com/pk6hQh8WNS
— 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙝 ⁶𓅓 (@OVOLakeShow) October 23, 2022
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I live for Russell Westbrook's crunch time decision-making pic.twitter.com/9juahOx59k
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) October 23, 2022
The disappointment is real. Fans were left stunned that the team lost from a winning position. Fans will hope the Lakers can bounce back and get their elusive first win of the season.
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How do you think Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers will fare this season? Let us know in the comments below.
