In the first game of a back-to-back against the rival Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered an embarrassing 22-point loss. The Clippers have had the Lakers’ number as of late, and nothing changed as their Pacific Division foes walked away with a 103-81 loss. The two teams will square off once again on Wednesday night with Kobe Bryant and company being the home team this time around.
The Lakers did not play well on Tuesday night and from the opening tip the Clippers asserted their dominance. The Clippers shot over 50 percent from the field while the Lakers were a miserable 31 percent. After the loss, coach Byron Scott spoke to the media and torched his team for their lack of effort.
Scott called out his players for already looking forward to the offseason and how they cannot duplicate the intensity of Bryant and Metta World Peace, via Mark Medina.
Byron said the team played "soft" and argued he thinks many have already thought about the offseason
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 6, 2016
Byron wondering aloud why his young players don't match Kobe's and Metta's intensity
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 6, 2016
Even though Bryant and World Peace did not have the most productive games, they were playing with toughness and energy. It is definitely hard for everyone on the roster to play hard given the poor record, but that showing against the Clippers was unacceptable.
What makes Kobe such an incredible competitor is that he does not take any nights off. If the younger stars on the team want to make a serious impact on the franchise, they must adopt that killer like mentality.
The Lakers have just five games left on the schedule, meaning just five more times fans will be able to see Kobe Bryant play. It has been an amazing 20-year career, and unfortunately, this team has not been competitive in his final season.
