After a very disappointing 120-89 loss to the Spurs in Game 3 of their best-of-seven playoff series, the Lakers found themselves one game away from elimination. Even though the Lakers faced an uphill battle tonight with the amount of injuries the team was facing, this wasn’t what the team was expecting in a must-win game.
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Still, even without Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant, (am I missing anybody else?), the Lakers weren’t expecting to be handed their worst home playoff loss in team history.
Following the action, in what might have been Mike D’Antoni’s shortest post-game presser (courtesy of Time Warner Cable SportsNet) of the season, he didn’t have anything negative to say about his team. In fact, he praised his player’s effort, almost applauding them for going out there and working hard despite facing an obvious up-hill battle.
“They’re trying the best they can do. It’s not smooth. Nobody likes it. Nobody’s happy.”
In the end this is all you can ask for from a make-shift roster that has thrown together by necessity. It’s the third game of the postseason and the Lakers spent their pre-game moments giving Andrew Goudelock, the starting shooting guard in this game, his trophy for the Most Valuable Player award in the D-League. It’s just been that kind of season for Los Angeles.
So while the Lakers are down 0-3 and have seemingly no chance to beat the Spurs, D’Antoni’s relatively positive outlook is appreciated. It’s been a brutal season, one that nobody was expecting. But the coach that hasn’t always said the best things to the press stood by his team and their effort following a brutal loss in a game that essentially ends their season.
The Lakers will have their first chance to fight off elimination on Sunday evening when they host the Spurs in Game 4.
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In case you missed it, be sure to check out Kobe Bryant making two free throws with a ruptured Achilles in our Play of the Week!
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