Lakers collapse in Crypto against other Los Angeles team as LeBron James comes out with injury

The Lakers lost 114-101 against the other Los Angeles team, the Clippers. They have now lost four straight and are 2-9 this season.

With LeBron James and Patrick Beverley back – and Lonnie Walker IV ruled out with non-Covid illness – the Lakers were much healthier on Wednesday than they were in their loss to Utah. The best ability is availability, and having near their ideal starting five against their local rival led to LA getting easy buckets for LeBron and the recently impressive Troy Brown Jr. to start the game. Russell Westbrook came on early in the first quarter to provide a spark as the team’s sixth man, and the Lakers lost a possession midway through the first.

Unfortunately, after that, it was all Clippers. They went 17-3 in three minutes and took a double-digit lead. Then things went from bad to worse. Unable to advance Anthony Davis in any way, getting passed 13-10, and having seven turnovers, the Lakers finished the first quarter down 38-21. Easily the most embarrassing game start of the entire season for purple and gold.

But the Lakers have been pretty good in the second quarter this year and Wednesday was no exception. LeBron made a tear, scoring 16 points and going 6-9 from the field. AD finally started, and adds a Clippers scoring drought mid-quarter and you have the Lakers coming back from 17 to tie the game at 48 with 3:26 left in the second, and trailing just 2 points at the half time.

Then came the dreaded third quarter. The Lakers 2022-23 formula is a known quantity at this point. Lose the first, deploy energy in the second to catch up, lose badly in the third, make a short run in the fourth, but ultimately lose.

The formula has been executed flawlessly so far, and Wednesday was no exception.

Like clockwork, the Lakers stumbled out in the third. The Clippers went 7-0 to start the quarter, which ended with a missed layup from LeBron followed by a transition field goal from Ivica Zubac. Ham called a timeout with an eerily similar start to the third against the Jazz just 48 hours ago.

After the timeout, the Lakers calmed down. Bron and AD scored a few baskets and an 11-2 run midway through the quarter brought the Lakers within striking distance. Brown also really warmed up in the third, with a reverse layup and some mid-range jumpers; it seemed like every time the Clippers tried to hold off the Lakers, he responded. However, the Clippers got hot from three in the final two minutes and an illegal call from the defense gave the Clippers a free throw and a possession. They took advantage as Paul George made the free throw and John Wall made a field goal and extended the Clippers’ lead to 12.

In the fourth, the Clippers put the Lakers out of their misery. They never even let a false return happen. The most notable event of the game, unfortunately, is a potential injury to LeBron James. After five minutes, Patrick Beverley intentionally fouled Bron to get out of the field. He cautiously left the field and headed straight for the locker room, holding his groin. LeBron has had groin issues before, so that’s something to watch out for in the future, but for now the team is just calling it “left leg pain.”

Obviously, Lebron’s potential absence is a problem, but one bright spot is that the schedule is finally getting a little easier. The Lakers face their first opponent with a sub-.500 record this season on Friday when they take on the Sacramento Kings at home. A win would be ideal, but as we’ve seen through 11 games, little has been ideal for the Lakeshow this season.

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