Lakers

With the game on the line, LeBron had a chance to win it for the Lakers. Instead, he dished it out to Carmelo Anthony.

But LeBron has always been the guy to put the game on his back, and it's very odd that he let this opportunity slip through his fingers. And I could've forced a reverse layup, but I wasn't in the position to feel like I could have gotten a great look. But they had the opportunity to end the game before it got to overtime.

The Lakers point guard spoke earlier this week about the harassment he and his family have faced this season.

But at the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do to speak up for yourself and also understand that the guys that know what’s going on in this league respect the type of player he is. “It is the nature of the beast. He’s a professional, and I’m proud of the way he’s conducting himself and I’m there for him.”

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James discussed the shape of his injured knee and reiterated he will play in games if healthy.

I was able to play tonight. Russell Westbrook said the Lakers have to deal with whatever hurdle is thrown at them. I didn’t play particularly well personally, but I was able to go out and try to make some plays.” I was able to go around-the-clock treatment. James did what he could to secure a win for the Lakers, putting up his fifth triple-double of the season. James’ all-around performance came after knee soreness ruled him out of the seven-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week.

The Los Angeles Lakers return home on Friday night looking to begin to change the momentum of the season when they host the Washington Wizards.

Being back in L. A. in a road capacity will definitely be a different feeling and both former Lakers are prepared to deal with the emotions. Caldwell-Pope spent four seasons with the Lakers, being a reliable starter and one of the team’s best 3-point shooters. This was the first time being traded for Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma and oftentimes players can harbor some resentment towards the franchise as they aren’t used to it. Both were dealt away to Washington this season along with Montrezl Harrell in exchange for Russell Westbrook, and this will be both’s first game back at the now-Crypto.com Arena against the Lakers. “It’s going to mean a lot. Me and Kuz are already trying to picture what it’s going to be like,” Caldwell-Pope told NBA.com “We know it’s going to be a lot of emotions because of the championship run we had with the team and our friends that are still there.

LeBron James recorded a triple-double in his return to the lineup and Russell Westbrook tallied 30 points, one of six Los Angeles Lakers players to score 13 ...

Houston is enduring the growing pains of having a young roster, and it has no chance of making it to the playoffs.Even the Lakers hadn't had trouble with the Rockets this season, having won the first three meetings between the two teams. Somehow, these defeats may be getting worse...and may have hit a new low on Wednesday night.Not only do the Rockets have the worst record in the Western Conference, but they had also lost 13 of 14 games heading into this matchup. Houston went on to put things away, spoiling the return of James, who missed Los Angeles' loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday due to left knee soreness.Here are some key takeaways from the Lakers' latest setback.Even though the Rockets scored 68 points over the first two quarters and were having a terrific shooting night, the Lakers had an opportunity to come away with a win in the fourth.Westbrook tied the game at 120 on a pull-up jumper with one minute and nine seconds to go, and Los Angeles needed its stars to come through.Instead, that was the Lakers' final basket of regulation, as they missed all three of their shot attempts in the final minute. But they're quickly running out of time to do so.This May Have Been These Lakers' Worst Loss YetConsidering the Lakers are nine games under .500 when they expected to be a championship contender, they've had their fair share of bad losses during the 2021-22 season. Their only victory over their past seven games was on Sunday, when he dropped 56 points in a win over the Golden State Warriors.On most nights, Los Angeles has been dropping close games, just like on Wednesday. Of the Lakers' past eight losses, half have been by five or fewer points. LeBron James recorded a triple-double in his return to the lineup and Russell Westbrook tallied 30 points, one of six Los Angeles Lakers players to score 13 or more on Wednesday night.

The former role players on the Lakers' 2020 title team have 'no hard feelings' about being included in last year's Russell Westbrook deal.

The Lakers had considered including Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope in trade packages to New Orleans for Davis both before the 2018 trade deadline and subsequent offseason before deciding otherwise. When Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope meet their former team for the first time, expect them to reflect with nostalgia before becoming eager to put on a strong performance. The Lakers avoided including Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope in 2017 when they dealt Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson to Cleveland for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a first-round draft pick, while also freeing up cap space for future deals. In Kuzma’s case, he made two 3-pointers in the final 26 seconds in a win in Cleveland after enjoying what he called “a little banter” with Cavaliers fans. “I came right over and fit right in,” Caldwell-Pope said. “There is nothing that we have been through this year that they haven’t experienced at a high level,” Unseld Jr. said. “I feel like the organization made it easy for when we got traded. Yet, Unseld Jr. reported that Caldwell-Pope has played “exactly what I expected” with dependable perimeter defense and outside shooting (39.4%). No wonder Caldwell-Pope conceded Friday’s game will have “some extra juice” after the Lakers signed him as a free agent in 2017 before spending the next four years as a dependable shooter and defender. Kuzma has posted a team-leading 24 double doubles and remains on pace to set a career high in rebounds (8.7) and assists (3.4). Safe to say that both Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope have attached special significance to the Washington Wizards’ four-day trip here. “But they’re in a different role.”

LeBron James had a "simple" explanation as to why he passed up a layup to dish the rock to Carmelo Anthony in the Lakers' 139-130 loss to the Rockets in ...

But it’s the Lakers’ defense that’s largely to blame for the upset in Houston — LA’s ninth-straight road loss. Instead, Anthony got the late pass on the wing, and pump-faked to get his footing, but missed the shot at the buzzer. I could have got a decent look and I feel like Melo’s look was a lot better than mine.”

The Lakers (28-37) are now a season-worst nine games below .500 after losing to the Rockets (17-49), who have the second-worst record in the NBA.

Josh Christopher had 21 points and Alperen Sengun had 21 points and 14 rebounds. But rather than attempt a reverse layup, he passed the ball to Carmelo Anthony, who missed a jumper. The Los Angeles Lakers gave up 10 unanswered points to start overtime and fell to the Houston Rockets, 139-130 on Wednesday after LeBron James returned to the lineup following a one-game absence.

At the 17th annual Los Angeles Sports Awards on Tuesday night, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant posthumously being inducted into the Basketball Hall of ...

Sports media professionals, as well as various Los Angeles teams’ players and coaches, honored the night Bryant became Hall of Fame status. Bryant’s shocking and tragic death opened up a wound in the sports world, one that stings a little extra with every NBA anniversary or celebration. Bryant was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in May 2021, where the basketball world united to honor the late Lakers legend.

During his illustrious career, Bryant won five NBA titles, two scoring titles, one league MVP award and two Finals MVP awards. Over 20 seasons, he averaged 25.0 ...

It’s just one of the many reasons he accomplished so much during his time in the NBA. “Kobe’s not as high on my list as people would really think he should be,” Williams said. The late great Kobe Bryant has received many posthumous honors, and many fans and experts alike have concluded that the Los Angeles Lakers legend was one of the very best players in the history of the league.

Just when you thought things could not get any worse for the Lakers, they drop a game to the Rockets.

They put up 38 points in the first quarter, only to be matched by Houston who put up 32 of their own. The Lakers bench had little help aside from DJ Augustin and Carmelo Anthony, who combined for 29 points in 52 minutes. Instead, the Lakers fell to the Rockets in overtime.

Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy called out the team after their dispiriting loss to the Houston Rockets.

On the floor, people watching will notice how often the Lakers hang their heads after giving up a run to their opponent, and the lack of a response from them has been jarring. Fans and analysts have had nothing good to say about their performances, and people like James Worthy were not pleased after this collapse via Spectrum SportsNet: Los Angeles had zero answers for their outside shooting, while on the other end, they experienced several scoring droughts that ended up being costly.

The Lakers set a new low for futility, and the "I Love Basketball" crew really has no idea how to react.

And for a short-form recap pod, check out Lakers Lowdown, in which Anthony Irwin recaps the previous day’s news and gets you ready for the day ahead in LakerLand, every weekday morning on the Silver Screen & Roll Podcast feed. You can listen to the full episode below, and to make sure you never miss a show, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.

The bottom continues to drop out for the Los Angeles Lakers, with their latest low point coming Wednesday night in a 139-130 overtime loss to the Houston...

And I could've forced a reverse layup, but I wasn't in the position to feel like I could have gotten a great look. The Lakers completely ran out of steam in overtime. It wasn't a high-percentage shot for Anthony to take either, as he was also rushed because Kenyon Martin Jr. did a good job closing out to force him to take an extra step before getting into his shooting motion. I could have got a decent look, and I feel like Melo's look was a lot better than mine. "I was a little bit off-balance. "On the drive, I had an angle, for sure.

In the battle for real estate in the Lakers' collective psyche, losing is, well, winning.

And on Wednesday, they trailed by double digits for the ninth consecutive game. “It’s hard,” Vogel said. And on Wednesday, they trailed by double digits for the ninth consecutive game. The Lakers are 28-37. “It’s hard,” Vogel said. The Lakers are 28-37.

Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope say they have "no hard feelings" going into their first game against the Lakers since being traded.

Neither team expected to be in a position so late into the season after the Wizards were thought to be a playoff threat after GM Tommy Sheppards’ masterful orchestration of a Westbrook trade and acquiring Kuz KCP, Spencer Dinwiddie, Montrezl Harrell, and Aaron Holiday. Blame has been spread everywhere to coaching, the front office, and the players themselves. They want me to impact the game by doing it all. He’s looked at several times to be the Wizards’ second-best player after Bradley Beal. KCP has continued to thrive in his usual role as a Three-and-D threat, scoring 12.3 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting from deep. They really allow me to be myself. “It’s going to mean a lot.