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After a poor three-point shooting performance in the season opener, the Lakers somehow got even worse. The Lakers shot even more three-pointers in their second game of the season.
And the likelihood of the ball settling into the net diminished each time the Lakers tossed up a three-ball Thursday night against the Clippers in their home opener at Crypto.com Arena.
So, two nights after the Lakers shot 10 for 40 (25%) from three-point range against Golden State, they had the nerve to shoot 45 more against the Clippers, making just nine, a shooting percentage of 20.
“I believe there will be a game in which we make multiple threes.” There are several games. “In multiple games,” LeBron James, who was 2-for-8 from three-point range, said. “But we’ll be in big trouble if we rely on that every game.”
In two games, the Lakers are 19-for-85 from three-point range. That is inconvenient and not a winning strategy.
“As a result, I’m not concerned or thinking about it. It’s how hard we play, how aggressive we play, and how determined we are to compete every night,” James explained. “And we have to defend.” When we defend, we give ourselves a good chance of winning. And that’s a good thing to have.”
Here are four things to remember from the Lakers’ 103-97 loss to the Clippers.
1. Three-pointers at the end of the game were unsuccessful.
Even with the game hanging in the balance in the fourth quarter, the Lakers continued to jack up three-pointers — nine in total , they didn’t make any. There is none.
Here’s how the Lakers fared in three-point shooting for the game:
Russell Westbrook went 0 for 6, Lonnie Walker IV went 2 for 9, James went 2 for 8, Anthony Davis went 2 for 4, Patrick Beverley went 1 for 6, Austin Reaves went 0 for 1, Juan Toscano-Anderson went 1 for 4, Kendrick Nunn went 0 for 4, Matt Ryan went 0 for 2, and Damien Jones went 0 for 1.
Given how poorly the Lakers shoot threes, are opponents willing to let them attempt them?
“If they want to give us those shots, we’ll gladly accept them,” coach Darvin Ham said. “I mean, that’s exactly how we want to play. We want to play quickly, physically, and freely. And, once again, we see these guys shooting in practice and shooting around. They have to do it on the field. That’s all there is to it. It is what it is, whether a team is giving us shots or not.
“However, we like the shots we’re getting.” We’ll see if those shots are still available once we start making them due to our running and screening habits. You want to see the ball go in more. But, once again, you just have to trust the process and keep working at it until the ball goes in the hole.”
2. The guard play was poor
The guards for the Lakers didn’t contribute nearly enough.
In their combined 25 field goal attempts, Westbrook, Beverley, and Nunn made one of 16 three-point attempts
Westbrook finished with two points on 0 of 11 from the field, Beverley had five points on 1 of 7, and Nunn was scoreless on 0 of 7.
“Well, I trust those guys — as in Kendrick, Russ, and Pat Bev’s professionalism, work ethic, and individual pride in wanting to put on the best show possible night in and night out,” Ham said. “So, over the course of an 82-game season, you’re bound to have nights like this.” But I have faith in them. They will recover. They’ll be better the next time. And we’ll watch the film again to see how we can help them all.”
3. Walker was a shining light
Walker was in the starting lineup for the second game in a row.
He led the team with 26 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. He also grabbed three rebounds, assisted three times, and stole two times.
Walker attacked the basket in his 36 minutes and 34 seconds on the court.
“I’m not here to get the most points,” he explained. “I’m just here to add energy, be a defender, and be a more athletic guard.” I’m just trying to get down the hill, find my teammates, and get AD some easy buckets. Simply playing the right way and hard.”
4. The Bucks outrebounded the Lakers 58-38.
The Lakers’ small-ball lineup struggled when playing against a traditional center like the 7-foot Ivica Zubac of the Clippers. In more than 35 minutes of play, Zubac had 17 rebounds and 5 blocks. Paul George provided 10 of the boards.
James had the most rebounds for the Lakers with 10, while Davis had eight. Other Laker players had a maximum of four.
