“They clearly don’t respect their opponents and this is what they get” - Matt Peralta criticizes the LA Lakers roster for being arrogant
The LA Lakers hosted the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center in their 21st game of the 2021-22 NBA season. They came into the game with a win against the Indiana Pacers, which seemed like the beginning of good things.
That hope was short-lived, though, as the Lakers conceded a defeat to the Kings in triple overtime. Fans and media personalities went on a rampage at the embarrassing form the team is in.
One such personality to react to the issue is Matt Peralta. The Lakers Nation author was present on the Lakers Nation Podcast alongside host Trevor Lane. He expressed his disappointment at the team's poor outing.
In trying to figure out what the cause was, he narrowed it down to the LA Lakers' blatant disrespect for their opponents. He was of the opinion that the team underrate their opponents and in return, they get what they deserve.
“They play down to the level of the competition. They clearly don’t respect their opponents and this is what they get or this is what they deserve,” Peralta said.
Peralta suggested firmly that the LA Lakers were rewarded in their own coin as he strongly believes in basketball karma.
"I am a firm believer in basketball karma, if you play the game the right way, if you respect your opponents, if you go out and compete every single night, you will be rewarded. But I honestly can't say that about this team."
The LA Lakers' 11th loss in 21 games played in the 2021-22 NBA season
The LA Lakers lost to the Sacramento Kings in their first meeting of the season. They are currently ranked 7th in the NBA Western Conference with a 10-11 record.
Both teams were locked in a stalemate by the end of the first and second quarters. The Lakers took the lead in the third quarter with a 5-point differential. The LA Lakers blew a 13-point lead in the 4th quarter, allowing the Kings to force an over-time.
The Lakers lost to the Kings in TRIPLE OVERTIME 😳 https://t.co/WhlaUDlFxM
By the end of the first overtime, both teams had posted 12 points each and the same occurred in the second overtime. However, the game reached a conclusive end in the third overtime as Buddy Hield gave the Kings the advantage over the LA Lakers.
LeBron James mustered 30 points, while Russell Westbrook posted 29 points, with Anthony Davis, Malik Monk, and Carmelo Anthony securing 23, 20, and 16 points respectively. However, it wasn't enough to defeat De'Aaron Fox and his teammates.