The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention Friday night in front of their home fans, as the Brooklyn Nets took control with an 11-2 run in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter and handed the Lakers their 41st loss of the season.
The Lakers are now 2-12 in their last 14, and at the team’s current pace, it would take an impressive finish to the season to match LA’s 35-47 record from 2017-18. In the first year of the LeBron James era in Los Angeles, the Lakers were fourth in the Western Conference as recently as December, but injuries to James, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, among others, derailed what was once a promising year. Add in the embarrassment over the Anthony Davis situation at the trade deadline and you have one of the most frustrating seasons Lakers fans have been forced to endure.
After Friday’s loss, James noted that the Lakers’ rash of injuries complicated the season, and said that this wasn’t what the team “signed up for.”
“Obviously it’s been a tough season for all of us. It’s not what we signed up for, but throughout the year, things happen. Suspensions, injuries, things of that nature, and us just not being able to play sustainable basketball for 48 minutes.
…. We talked about it all year from the beginning, how our depth would be a huge part of our team. Throughout the whole season we’ve just had bodies and bodies and bodies be down. It’s just hard for us to have any type of rhythm, any type of camaraderie, any type of chemistry on the floor when [coach Luke Walton] has to play with the lineups over and over and over, and try to figure out different scenarios on the court for us to be successful.”
James’ otherworldly streak of eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances is over, and he’ll be sitting out the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
