Disappointed Magic Johnson dishes out 2 posts to sum up pitiful Lakers performance vs. Miami Heat
The LA Lakers continue to struggle after winning the NBA Cup in early December and suffered another defeat, this time to the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena (110-96). After the game, LA Lakers and NBA legend Magic Johnson took to social media to share his disappointment.
Johnson sent a couple of tweets and expressed his disappointment with the way the 17-time NBA champions played vs the Heat on Wednesday (Jan. 3).
"The Lakers definitely got outworked and outhustled by the Miami Heat tonight losing 110-96," Magic Jonson initially wrote.
"To add to Lakers woes, we went 4 for 30 from the three-point line and turned the ball over 22 times. It was a disappointing home loss for Laker fans," he wrote in the second tweet.
This was the third defeat in a row for the 17-time NBA champions, who have won only three times in the 12 games they have played since earning the NBA In-Season Tournament title in early December.
Darvin Ham says Lakers can't find consistency amid injury woes
The LA Lakers, like other NBA teams, are dealing with injuries to key players and this prevents them from building chemistry and finding some momentum.
On Wednesday, the 17-time champions saw Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell sit out the game due to injuries while Gabe Vincent will be sidelined for a few more weeks, also due to an injury.
Head coach Darvin Ham made it clear that as long as injury woes remain an issue for his team, the Lakers will be unable to play consistent basketball on both ends.
"It's a little bit of everything right now. We're not executing. We can't find any consistency until we get healthy. It's as simple as that. We've got to get healthy," Darvin Ham said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
"We are dealing with different guys being in and out of the lineup that frequently. It is impossible to find a rhythm that way. That's just being real."
Currently, the 17-time champions are 10th in the West standings with 17 wins and 18 losses. They are tied with the Golden State Warriors (16-17) while the Utah Jazz (12th in the standings) are just a game behind (16-19), but have the momentum on their side, after winning three consecutive games.
The good thing for the 17-time champions is that they will play on the road only once in their next 12 games. This homestand will allow them to work more in practice and try to improve their chemistry, as they will be waiting for their injured players to return.
The LA franchise will play the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena on Friday (Jan. 5). The Grizzlies have won just 11 of their first 34 games, but they are optimistic they will turn things around after the return of superstar guard Ja Morant.