Lakers Again Searching For Answers, With Time Not On Their Side

Just as soon as things started to pick up for the Lakers with a win over the Warriors on Saturday, it all started to head back south.

The latest example came Wednesday, an overtime loss to the Rockets, the team with the worst record in the Western Conference. At this rate, it may not be a surprise if the Rockets caught up with the Lakers in the standings.

Actually, yes it would. But truth is, when it comes to LA, the only question that seemingly remains is how low it can go.

Through it all, though, Russell Westbrook says the Lakers have to try to stay together as a team and weather what has been a season-long rocky road.

“Try to make sure everybody’s kind of trying to stay connected through all this stuff,” Westbrook told reporters, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Because there’s a lot going on with us as a team, and it’s easy to spread out and not trust each other.”

LeBron James exploded for 56 points vs. the Warriors. But then missed Monday’s loss to the Spurs with a sore knee. He returned to face the Rockets, passing up the final shot in overtime to deliver the ball to Carmelo Anthony on the perimeter. Anthony missed and to OT the game went.

“Ended up behind the backboard,” James explained. “I was a little bit off-balance and I could have forced a reverse layup, but I wasn’t in the position to feel like I could have got a great look. I could have got a decent look and I feel like Melo’s look was a lot better than mine.”

Anthony suggested that miss is an example of how the season has gone for the Lakers (28-37) to this point.

“It’s right there, man,” Anthony said. “It’s a play here, a play there. It’s right there for us to kind of get over this hump.”

Of course, it doesn’t help that Anthony Davis is hurt — again. But even with Davis, the Lakers have been far from the Big Three force most expected. Just the contrary. They look old, worn down and just trying to survive (as opposed to actually win) most nights.

As it stands, they have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA after a cakewalk at the start. It was a cakewalk they didn’t really take advantage of, though.

As it stands, the Lakers have now lost five straight games decided by one possession, as relayed by Kyle Goon of the LA Daily News.

“We gotta figure out how to win down the stretch, how to win these close games, not worrying about how we not gonna lose,” Anthony said. “And some games and some times you see that in us, and we come through and we win the game, but we’ve been losing close games.”