“Beat the s**t out of us”, “A lot”: Austin Reaves and LeBron James unequivocally react to Lakers record loss
LeBron James and Austin Reaves didn't beat around the bush about the LA Lakers' shambolic 44-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The 138-94 defeat was the worst of James' career. It's tied for the fourth-worst in Lakers' franchise history.
The Lakers' duo was visibly distraught after the loss and in no mood to sugarcoat the thrashing they got at the hands of the Sixers. Philly made 22 3-pointers on the night. The Lakers, meanwhile, could only cash in seven attempts from deep:
"They beat the s**t out of us," Reaves said after the game (via Spectrum SportsNet).
Reaves was one of the four players to score over 10 points in the game. He had 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
LeBron James, on the other hand, issued one-line responses to reporters about the game. When asked what needs to change for the Lakers to not face a loss this embarrassing again, James said:
"A lot."
James had 18 points and five assists on 66.7% shooting. He finished with zero rebounds, the first time he failed to grab a board since 2010. An unwanted feat wasn't the only record James registered.
After playing his ninth minute, James broke another of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-standing record of minutes played in regular season and playoffs combined. James surpassed Abdul-Jabbar for the most points scored in NBA history in February.
LeBron James and Co. continue to struggle from 3-point line
LeBron James and the LA Lakers have been a subpar 3-point shooting team ever since the four-time MVP joined the franchise in 2018. The Lakers are reeling in the basement of 3-point shooting stats again. Through 18 games, the Lakers have a league-worse 9.8 3-pointers per game.
They have recorded a 3-point percentage of 29.1%, tied for the league-worst alongside the 2-15 Detroit Pistons. It's been the Lakers' Achilles, contributing to the majority of their eight losses.
Making these shots was already an issue for the Lakers, but defending from the 3-point line is also a problem. LA has allowed their opponents to shoot 14.0 3s per game (5th highest) at a 36.1% clip (13th) this season.
It's important to note that the Lakers are missing crucial pieces in their rotation. Jarred Vanderbilt hasn't played a game, while Cam Reddish, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent have missed several games, too. These absences have impacted the team on both ends. The Lakers' defense has been hurt the most by this.
However, their 3-point shooting woes have been a collective issue. Only Rui Hachimura is shooting over 40%, while LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell are at 39%. The rest are all shooting 34% or worse.