Another day, another third-quarter collapse for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers once again faltered in the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns. Despite being down by only two at halftime (62-60), they came out flat, mirroring the same lackluster performance from their previous loss against the Denver Nuggets.

via Imago

“We’re not very good defensively or very good offensively the last couple games,” said LeBron James after the game talking to the media. They were outscored 36 to 18 by the Suns in the 3rd quarter. In fact, the Lakers only managed 40 points in the 2nd half in total. This resulted in another blowout 127-100 loss and their 3rd in a row.

The Lakers’ effort was noticeable early, despite Kevin Durant making a three-pointer in his return from injury. But that intensity didn’t last long enough. At the end of the first quarter, they allowed an open three due to a defensive breakdown. Then, in the third, Phoenix easily scored an uncontested layup.

The team’s defensive flaws were on full display—issues in transition, poor rebounding, and not applying enough pressure on the perimeter. However, their biggest problem came when the Suns attacked the basket, and the Lakers simply watched instead of contesting.

King James explained “We are a process oriented team you know, it not going to happen overnight so you know you stay open queue you got too high and never get low”. They need to figure out the solutions to their problems soon. On Friday, the Lakers will play their last group-stage match of the NBA Cup at home against Oklahoma City. They need a victory to stay in contention for the knockout rounds, as point differential will decide the tiebreakers.

LeBron James has lost his flair since D’Angelo Russell has been benched

LeBron James had another rough outing in the Lakers’ 127-100 loss to the Suns, and it’s safe to say Lakers fans were not happy. The superstar struggled on multiple fronts, including turnovers, poor shooting, and a noticeable lack of defensive effort. Fans expect more from the King, especially in these crucial moments.

Lately, LeBron has been battling with consistency. His playmaking has been there, but he’s been turning the ball over way too much. Against the Suns, LeBron notched 10 assists, but also racked up five turnovers, which ended up hurting the team when it mattered.

via Imago

Coach JJ Redick’s decision to bench D’Angelo Russell seems to have impacted LeBron’s performance. In the past nine games, LeBron has committed a whopping 43 turnovers, and that’s got fans talking (and not in a good way). Even the Lakers Nation feels frustrated by the inconsistency and the growing turnover problems.

While LeBron managed to get his teammates involved, his shooting was off—just 2-of-7 from three. As the Suns started pulling away, LeBron’s energy seemed to fade, and despite posting decent numbers, he never fully found his rhythm. It was one of those nights where nothing clicked, and for a guy of his caliber, that’s a hard pill to swallow.