Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Sometimes it just isn’t your night. Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Lakers, it isn’t the ideal time in the season to have that kind of game.
With Anthony Davis out on Tuesday night due to headaches and nausea, LeBron James a game-time decision due to an illness and the Golden State Warriors hitting a season-high 26 threes—also tying a franchise record—the Lakers lost 134-120.
That put a major dent in their hopes of securing an automatic playoff berth, dropping them to 45-35 on the season, 2.5 games behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the sixth seed.
It also brought them one step closer to landing the 10th seed in the West, which would mean they wouldn’t host a game in the Play-In Tournament:
Greg Beacham @gregbeacham
FINAL Warriors 134, Lakers 120. LA drops to 45-35 with its 2nd straight loss. The Lakers also lost the season series with Sacto and GSW, so avoiding 10th place in the West is no longer in their hands.
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Final: Warriors 134, Lakers 120.
The 26 threes from Golden State are the most ever given up by the Lakers.
The previous record was 25 by the Rockets (2019).
Hardwood Paroxysm @HPbasketball
Warriors clinch tiebreaker over Lakers 3-1 in season series, control destiny for 9th.
10th seeds are 0-6 in making the playoffs in the play-in tournament.
James fought valiantly despite being under the weather, finishing with 33 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. But Stephen Curry (23 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, 6-for-6 from three) and Klay Thompson (27 points, 5-of-10 from three) led a scintillating shooting effort from Golden State.
Draymond Green even joined the action, hitting 5-of-7 threes en route to 15 points and 10 assists. When Green is acting like a Splash Brother, you know you’re in trouble.
That didn’t make the Lakers’ performance any less disappointing for folks on social media, especially given the context of the playoff positioning:
Trevor Lane @Trevor_Lane
Just a bad and avoidable loss for the Lakers. Huge opportunity that they let slip away
nick wright @getnickwright
The biggest Lakers game of the year, literally likely the difference between being the 7 seed and the 10 seed, and after battling for nearly an entire quarter to make it a game again, Ham ends the 3rd with Vincent-D’Lo-Prince-Dinwiddie-Hayes lineup & POOF game over.
So, so bad.
𝓛𝓛💫 @HoodiiBron
2023-2024 Lakers pic.twitter.com/RvuBTAEwK5
𝓛𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓓𝔂𝓷𝓪𝓼𝓽𝔂 @LakersDynastyLD
I’m telling you if the Lakers do not make the playoffs.. that hard reset button will be pushed..
And I hope it starts with the Coach.
Sean Davis @Sean_Davi
This almost solidifies the Lakers as a 9/10 seed. A rematch with Golden State seemingly awaits
Harrison Faigen @hmfaigen
I mean at least whoever the Lakers are gonna play in the play-in isn’t gonna be capable of shooting like that in a one-game scenario.
Now let me go take a look at the standings page while taking a big sip of this hot tea… https://t.co/srsFy490KO
Richard Staple, BSN, RN🇯🇲 @RichStapless
I didn’t even really comment the whole game cause AD is their entire defense.
The Lakers never took the regular season seriously.
No reason for me to. This their mess.
Anthony F. Irwin @AnthonyIrwinLA
Lakers needed to run with as close to a playoff rotation as possible and Ham has played roughly 37 guys. He’s clueless, man. Actively detrimental.
LakeShowYo @LakeShowYo
wtf y’all doing @Lakers
This has not been a great week for the Lakers, losers of two straight. The team now has matchups against the Memphis Grizzlies (Friday) and the Pelicans (Sunday) to close the season.
And awaiting them in the Play-In Tournament’s first game very well could be a Warriors team that has beaten them three of four times this season.
The Lakers escaped from the Play-In Tournament a season ago. But few teams have been more erratic than this bunch, making a pair of win-or-go home scenarios absolutely terrifying for Lakers’ fans.
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