"Sometimes you come out and you find it, sometimes you don’t. The inconsistency is a problem. That, we do know.” - Russell Westbrook admits to consistency issues with the L.A. Lakers
The L.A. Lakers hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Saturday night game at Staples Center. The Lakers lost the game to the Timberwolves by a 24-point differential.
It was a sad loss as the L.A. Lakers continued their inconsistent run, registering a 7-6 record with their super team. Russell Westbrook, whose birthday was two days ago, had some responses to questions about their inconsistencies.
“I’m not sure. You can’t really put your finger on it and say what it is or what it’s not. Sometimes you come out and you find it, sometimes you don’t. The inconsistency is a problem. That, we do know.”
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The Lakers took a seven-point early lead in the first quarter, which was cut down to five points by the end of the first half. But while everyone thought it was an obvious win, the L.A. Lakers tanked in the third quarter.
The third quarter saw the Lakers muster only 12 points, while the Timberwolves posted 40 points, outscoring the Lakers by 28 points and taking the lead by a 23-point margin. All efforts by the L.A. Lakers seemed futile as the game ended with the Timberwolves claiming victory.
The Lakers were outscored by 28 points in the 3rd quarter against the Timberwolves tonight, their 2nd-worst points differential in *any* quarter in the shot-clock era (1954-55).
Lakers starters combined for just 6 Ast, their fewest in a game over the last 4 seasons.
On their terrible third quarter outing, Westbrook had this to say:
“Just not coming out ready. We didn’t do a good job of being prepared, especially in the third quarter. Obviously, we didn’t make any shots either.”
The L.A. Lakers have been found to lose to small-market teams in a very laughable and worrisome fashion. Blowing up a double-digit lead or putting up poor performances in the third quarter is fast becoming a routine for the team. Westbrook spoke on how they can get back from this.
“We just have to be locked in regardless of who we’re playing.. Our opponent doesn’t really matter, it’s just more about us. We have to do a good job of locking in on what we do and let the results speak for themselves.”
Russell Westbrook signing by the L.A. Lakers, a blessing or a curse?
While it is still very young to make any strong claim - the L.A. Lakers still have 69 games to go. One can only but wonder if the Westbrook trade adds any value to the team on the court. With 13 games played, Westbrook is yet to put up the stellar performances he is known for and that he was signed for.
In the 2020-21 NBA season without Westbrook, the L.A. Lakers had 10 wins and three losses after their first 13 games played. It makes for a good argument that they probably didn't need him on the roster. But Mr. Triple Double has shown on a few occasions that he can be relied upon, having registered three triple-doubles for the Lakers. He registered 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in their win against the San Antonio Spurs, and currently averages 19.4 points per game.
Also Read: Who is Russell Westbrook’s wife, Nina Earl?