Rui Hachimura was stopped. Anthony Davis stood still. Tyler Herro moved. Tyler Herro scored.
One game after suffering a humiliating offensive performance in Minnesota, the Lakers were dismantled on the defensive end in Miami. Their body language, lack of energy, and, most concerning, their utter lack of fight raised serious alarms.
After a six-game win streak, the Lakers faltered at the free-throw line against Orlando, were outplayed in the second half by Denver, outclassed by Phoenix, out-muscled by Oklahoma City, and thoroughly crushed in Minnesota.
But none of those defeats were as bad as Wednesday’s disaster. The Lakers looked too old, too unskilled, too undisciplined, and too unserious.
The Heat blew out the Lakers 134-93, marking a new low in a season where losses are piling up quickly. Miami (10-10) hit 24 three-pointers, the third-most ever allowed by the Lakers.
Lakers coach JJ Redick paced the sideline helplessly, having already used all his rage timeouts. Herro hit seven straight threes in the third quarter, heating up faster than a microwave. Every loose ball went to Miami, every rebound landed with the Heat, and every bit of momentum slipped away from the Lakers, who have now lost five of their last six games by an average margin of over 20 points.
“I’m embarrassed for the Lakers,” Magic Johnson posted on X during the game.
LeBron James, who had been struggling through a tough stretch, finally found his rhythm, leading the Lakers with 29 points. However, the rest of the team, including Anthony Davis, was absent.
In one of his worst performances as a Laker, Davis managed just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting. He was repeatedly beaten off the dribble by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. With only seven rebounds and five assists, Davis and the Lakers (12-10) couldn’t figure out how to handle Miami’s double teams, and Davis looked completely lost, with no answers to their problems.
The Lakers, still missing Austin Reaves due to a lower back bruise, were only marginally better on offense than on defense on Wednesday.
The team shot a dismal 22.7% from three and 43% from the field. Without James and Hachimura, the Lakers were just 19 for 62 (30.6%).
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