The Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles on defense and rebounding continued Friday in their in-season championship game against the Phoenix Suns.
Despite being without superstar scorer Devin Booker, Phoenix trailed by 63 points in the first half, with recently returned Bradley Beal scoring 20 points and Kevin Durant adding 16 points. Phoenix made 7 of 15 three-pointers and outrebounded the Lakers by 32 points. -18.
Los Angeles enters this game with an overall record of 3-5 and a road record of 0-5, in part because the team’s defense has regressed significantly from last season. According to “Basketball-Reference”, the Lakers rank ninth in the NBA in points allowed per game (116.2 points per game) and rank last in defensive efficiency (16th).
Los Angeles has allowed an average of 120.3 points per game in its last four leading games, including a 34-point loss to the rebuilding Houston Rockets by 128 points.
On the bright side, it was another solid performance from veteran LeBron James, who scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first half despite facing Left calf injured This forced him to briefly exit the game.
But the Lakers entered this season with championship aspirations, and if the team continues to underperform, their championship aspirations simply won’t come true.
The Lakers hope to have a better defense when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.