The Los Angeles Lakers got blown out 108-95 on Thursday night by a Memphis Grizzlies team that was without Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks.
It was the latest embarrassment for LA in a season filled with them.
As usual, sloppy play contributed greatly to the Lakers’ demise. Their 22 team turnovers resulted in 27 points by the Grizzlies. Russell Westbrook led the way for the purple and gold with six turnovers all on his own.
On the night, Westbrook finished with 20 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and a +/- of -16.
After the game, Westbrook sat down with reporters and delivered an extremely stern message to his ballclub.
“We know what we’re supposed to do,” he said. “We know when we’re supposed to take and win games, regardless of who’s playing. But this is the NBA, and these guys are professional, just as well as us.
“We gotta do a better job of taking on the challenge, because we know that when everybody’s playing the Los Angeles Lakers, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot. We know that from the start of the year. We understand that, but we gotta be able to own our s***, simple as that.”
At a certain point, talk becomes cheap. And it feels like after every loss Westbrook says the same thing, but it does little to alter the dynamics surrounding his team.
Actions have consequences. https://t.co/TPnBzy8ncP
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 9, 2021
The Lakers have been linked to a blockbuster trade involving Westbrook that would nullify a lot of this offseason’s mistakes. Right now, sitting at 13-13 after 26 games, the front office would be insane not to seriously consider it.
There is still time for this ship to be righted, but at the moment, it doesn’t look like LA knows how to do it.
Related: Is A Big NBA Trade Brewing Between Mavericks, 76ers?
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
