Monday was judgement day for the Los Angeles Lakers and once again, they failed to pass the test. They also lost a key player in the process.
The Lakers lost forward Kyle Kuzma to an ankle injury as well as losing to the Los Angeles Clippers, 113-105, that wasn’t even that competitive by the end. LeBron James had 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while having a rough 1-6 night from 3 in the loss.
With the loss, the Lakers are now 5.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 18 games to play.
The Lakers added injury to insult late in the 4th quarter of their matchup with Staples Center co-tenants, the LA Clippers. After a good start by the Lakers, the Clippers asserted control in the latter three quarters. But things for the Lakers got even worse in the 4th quarter as they lost Kuzma after turning his right ankle.
Even though it didn’t look as bad as the one that brought down Lonzo Ball, it was bad enough, and the Lakers are far enough away from the playoffs, that it made more sense for Kuzma to get it looked at.
But while Kuzma’s ankle is of the utmost concern for the Lakers, they’re unable to escape Patrick Beverley’s statement that rings even truer today: the Lakers aren’t even the best team in Los Angeles.
Monday night’s game took the Clippers closer to the playoffs and took the Lakers closer to Space Jam 2.
