FSM Essential Recap: Lakers vs Clippers - Game 50

FSM Essential Recap: Lakers vs. Clippers – Game 50

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Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers offense has been, well, offensive. They have had to rely on their defense to keep them in games, and that hasn’t been working as well as they would like. That was again the case on Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Clippers, and once again their offense was not able to do their part in a 104-86 blowout loss at Staples Center.

 

The Clippers came out of the gates firing on Easter Sunday. They hit their first six shots as the Lakers struggled on both ends of the floor to grab a 13-5 lead with 8:39 left in the first. Markieff Morris did all he could to keep the Lakers in it early, scoring the team’s first seven points.

Rajon Rondo was one of the first subs off the bench for the Clippers in his debut with the team but did not immediately make an impact. He turned the ball over, and back-to-back possessions then committed a foul. This prompted a Clippers timeout as the Lakers still trailed 22-15 with 3:23 to go.

At the end of the first, the Clippers led 27-20 after a relatively poor offensive quarter from the Lakers. The Morris twins combined for 20 of the 47 first-quarter points.

Midway through the second quarter, the Lakers had still not hit a 3-pointer. Paul George’s hot shooting allowed the Clippers to extend their lead slightly, making it 38-28 at the 6:17 mark.

 

The Lakers finally hit their first three at the 2:16 mark of the second courtesy of Marc Gasol. However, it came after a 10-0 Clippers run that brought their lead to 20. The Lakers cut the gap slightly before the half, as it was 53-38 in favor of the Clippers.

 

The beginning of the second half was reminiscent of the first, as the Clippers were all over the Lakers with their incredible offensive attack. By the 10:05 mark, a 15-point Clippers lead became 22, as it was 62-40.

While the defense tightened up the rest of the third quarter, the offense was as ugly as it has been all season long. They scored just 17 for the period, their second straight scoring under 20. Heading into the final quarter, it looked to be extended garbage time with the Lakers trailing 77-55.

The Lakers were able to keep pace to start the fourth. At the 7:24 mark, it was 87-68 as Talen Horton-Tucker and Montrezl Harrell were doing all they could to keep L.A. afloat. Ultimately though, the Lakers could not cut into the deficit, and the Clippers cruised to an easy victory.

Lakers Injury News and Notes:

 

Sunday, April 4, marked seven weeks since forward Anthony Davis played his last game for the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the initial timeline for Davis’ return would suggest that the Lakers will get their superstar forward back soon, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said that Davis’ calf strain would need a bit more time to heal fully.

“AD continues to ramp up but Is still a ways away,” Vogel said during his pregame media availability on Sunday. “And LeBron’s still out indefinitely.”

 

Fortunately, Vogel said Davis’ slow recovery process isn’t a product of any setbacks.

“It’s just being cautious with making sure that the buildup is happening at the right pace and that this thing is fully behind him,” Vogel said.

 

As for the Lakers’ other AD, Andre Drummond, there’s still no timeline for his return. Drummond, who injured his big toe in his Lakers debut, has missed the last two games.

“He’s still having trouble putting his shoe on the first two days through it,” Vogel said. “He’s just not there yet. He still has a great deal of discomfort and we want to make sure this thing gets behind him.”

 

James, Davis, and Drummond will travel with the Lakers on their upcoming road trip, which will span over a week. Wesley Matthews, who missed Sunday’s game with a neck strain, will also travel with the team.

The Lakers obviously haven’t had the best luck when it’s come to injuries, but they’ve managed to stay in the top half of the Western Conference playoff picture because of the cushion they built at the beginning of the season. Now, the hope is that they can get healthy in time for the postseason and, most importantly, stay healthy.

 

 

The Lakers are on the road again as they take on the Toronto Raptors in T-Dot. Tip-off is at 4:30 pm and you can watch the game on Spectrum SportsNet.

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-Joe Arrigo – Franchise Sports Media

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