Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, losing 138-94 as Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey scored 30 straight points. LeBron James scored 18 points in 30 minutes to lead the Lakers.
It was a historic night for all the wrong reasons, as it was the worst loss of James’ career and one of the worst in Lakers history. While one game certainly doesn’t define a team’s NBA ceiling, a loss like this will cause some reflection no matter who the opponent is.
The biggest stat that separated the Sixers from the Lakers on Monday was three-point shooting percentage. The Lakers took 7 of 28 shots and the 76ers took 22 of 46 shots. The 76ers cruised to a 45-point victory with a 44-point advantage.
James was talking about the difference between the Lakers and 76ers in a very disappointing loss, and it was simple, by Spectrum Sports Network:
“We ran coverage. They made shots. Give them credit.”
James didn’t give many answers after the game. He was visibly frustrated when talking about what changes the Lakers might need to make to avoid losses like this in the future:
“A lot.” “Yeah, a lot.” “
LeBron was reluctant to speak for the team, but he wasn’t happy about being eliminated in this way:
“I don’t know how the team (reacted). “I can only speak for myself – I don’t like it. “
James is usually willing to go into detail about what went wrong for the Lakers in losses. But this game was especially frustrating due to the 44-point loss. No single solution can prevent a loss like this from happening again, but the Lakers are undoubtedly a good enough team that this type of loss won’t happen again this season.
If the Lakers do make any major changes to their rotation or style of play, this game appears to be a springboard.
Cam Reddish is coming back
Cam Reddish has been one of the bright spots for the Lakers in the 2023-24 season as he looks more like a former lottery pick. On the defensive end, he is one of the best players in the league in terms of defense and steals, while on the offensive end, he is more of a forward shooter and outside shooter.
The Lakers have missed Reddish’s two-way presence on the court, but it sounds like his return is just around the corner, as Davon Hamm said he’s been working on his return and is “very close” to his return.
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