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The Los Angeles Lakers blew a golden opportunity to get above .500 with a disheartening second-half collapse to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, January 19, at Crypto.com arena.
The Lakers were outscored by 24 points in the second half, which drew the ire of coach Darvin Ham.
“We slowed it down and started holding the ball becoming indecisive,” Ham told reporters after the loss via Spectrum SportsNet. “And the result was what it was — talking about the tale of two different halves.”
The Lakers made 26 field goals on 20 assists in the first half as they took a 68-62 lead. Then the script flipped in the second half. The Nets pulled away for a 130-112 rout for just their second win over the last 11 games.
“The first half is what we’re working toward… Coming out of those last two games, those last two wins and then the inconsistency showed up and reared its head in the second half. But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves and make excuses. We saw the same people that put together that first half, the same ones that allowed that second half and we just have to decide which team will gonna be,” Ham said.
They can no longer use health as an excuse with only Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent out with knee injuries. Ham, though, said the Lakers can’t still put in time to practice despite being at home for the last 10 days because of having sore bodies. But he’s had enough.
“It’s over for the excuses,” Ham said. “We got to play basketball.”
Lakers Rekindle Interest in Bruce Brown
The Lakers have their eyes on the recently traded Bruce Brown, whom the Toronto Raptors acquired in the Pascal Siakam trade.
Should the Raptors re-route Brown, the Lakers will have an interest according to multiple reports.
“If the Toronto Raptors decide to move on from Bruce Brown Jr., the Lakers will have interest in acquiring him, according to team sources,” wrote The Athletic’s Jovan Buha on January 19. “The Lakers coveted Brown last summer and believed they were the favorites to sign him using the team’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception before Indiana swooped in with a cap-space offer.
“Much like he was last summer, Brown will become one of the most coveted players on the trade market if he’s available. Of note: Because Brown was already traded from Indiana to Toronto in the [Pascal] Siakam deal, he cannot be combined with another player in a potential trade.”
“From the time the Lakers lost to Denver, got eliminated in the Conference Finals last year, there’s been one player they’ve really been focused on trying to acquire: Bruce Brown Jr.,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on “NBA Countdown” on January 19.
Brown played a key reserve role in the Denver Nuggets’ championship run last season, sweeping the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals along the way.
Bucks Join Lakers in Dejounte Murray Chase
The Lakers’ path to landing Dejounte Murray just got tighter with the Milwaukee Bucks joining the chase.
The title contender from the Eastern Conference is among the multiple teams who are registering interest in Murray, according to TNT/Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Milwaukee is looking to recoup some of the perimeter defense they lost in Jrue Holiday. The
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