Lakers fall to 11th place in West, out of postseason picture, with big loss in Dallas

The most recent replace on LeBron James and Anthony Davis was fairly easy:

“Yeah, they’re each out,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel mentioned earlier than his shorthanded staff confronted the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night time.

And never lengthy after, the Lakers acquired knocked out by the Mavericks, 128-110, and Luka Doncic’s 34 factors, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. The loss additionally knocked the Lakers out of tenth place within the West, the final spot to make the postseason play-in event with seven video games remaining.

“Not ok. In any means,” Vogel mentioned about his staff, which by no means led and trailed by as many as 37 factors. “This is among the most prolific offenses within the league. The Luka Doncic pick-and-roll is as powerful to arrange for, is as powerful of an motion to decelerate, as any within the league. And with a number of guys out we needed to are available and execute at a excessive stage.

“And we executed very poorly to start out the sport and actually that entire first half, with what our sport plan was. After which as we tried to regulate to have a look at some Plan Bs and Plan Cs, we simply didn’t execute nicely sufficient and play with sufficient toughness, IQ, intelligence, focus and battle in that half. So, not acceptable and only a poor efficiency throughout the board. Coaches, gamers, everyone.”

James was out with a sprained left ankle suffered Sunday night time in New Orleans and Davis missed his seventeenth consecutive sport with a proper mid-foot sprain.

Davis practiced Monday, which was encouraging for the Lakers, however he nonetheless was listed as uncertain for the sport. James did his rehabilitation away from follow Monday and he additionally had been uncertain.

In accordance with folks not licensed to talk on the matter, Davis desires to play Friday in opposition to his outdated New Orleans Pelicans staff in an vital sport for the Lakers’ postseason hopes, however he was a “little sore” after the follow and the Lakers would possibly deem it sensible to attend.

The Lakers play at Utah on Thursday, in opposition to a staff they’ve defeated twice, earlier than they host the Pelicans at Crypto.com Enviornment. The Lakers (31-44) are one sport behind the ninth-place Pelicans and path San Antonio (31-44) based mostly on a tiebreaker.

“The standings are the outcomes,” Vogel mentioned. “We’ve got to maintain our concentrate on the method and the work and the issues which can be going to result in the following win.

“That’s the one place that our focus will likely be.”

It was left it as much as starters Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson and Dwight Howard and the remainder of the group to take care of the playoff-bound Mavericks (47-29).

Monk had 28 factors and Westbrook 25, however it was no contest from the beginning.

Westbrook was requested what wants to vary now that the Lakers discover themselves out of the play-in event, particularly since they’ve one of many hardest remaining schedules.

“Nothing, man,” Westbrook mentioned. “Nothing.”

Why is that?

“’Trigger it doesn’t. What does it change? We nonetheless acquired video games to play,” Westbrook mentioned. “Different groups nonetheless acquired video games to play. We nonetheless gotta play groups that’s above us within the play-in. Don’t actually change a lot.”

After getting up from his seat, Westbrook had a query for reporters.

“What do you assume ought to change?” he requested.

He was informed profitable could be on the high of the checklist.

“OK, that’s apparent,” he mentioned. “What do you assume ought to change?

“That’s positive. You bought a solution to profitable? You bought a solution to profitable?”

Westbrook was informed that the reporters don’t have the solutions to how the Lakers can win, however that he ought to as a result of he’s on the market competing.

“Precisely. I don’t have the reply. So why you ask me?” he mentioned.

Since you’re on the court docket, Westbrook was informed.

“I’m just one individual. It’s a staff sport,” he mentioned. “So, I don’t have a solution. You might have it.”