The Los Angeles Lakers chose the wrong time to go on a losing streak. Sunday’s blowout loss at the hands of Houston Rockets stretched their skid to five games, and with the next four games, and six of the next seven on the road, the threat of the season spinning out of control is real.
It can be easy for young teams to start to splinter at times like these, which is exactly why Brandon Ingram is stressing the necessity of the Lakers coming closer. “We’re just trying to get better every single day. I think we’re still locked in and staying tighter,” Ingram said following the Lakers’ loss to the Rockets.
“For these road games, it’s important for us to stay even more together as we go through this journey and process.”
Rookie Lonzo Ball also believes it’s very important for the Lakers not to lose confidence. “Confidence can’t dwindle. If it does now, we’re going to have a very long season,” Ball said. “I think we can still turn it around. We still have time. We just have to come together and make it happen.”
Thankfully, Ingram doesn’t believe losing confidence is a problem for this team. “It’s not. The games that we lose, we’re still in the game. Every game we’ve lost in this five-game stretch, we’ve been in.”
While that wasn’t necessarily the case down the stretch against Houston, Ingram is right in that the Lakers have been in almost every loss. Not just during this streak, but throughout the season.
If the Lakers can use these close calls as motivation, knowing they’re just a play or two away from consistent victories, they could eventually turn things around. That will only come if the team sticks together.
Luckily, everyone seems to be on the same page in regards to that, including head coach Luke Walton.
“This is the time of year that can break teams down when you’re not winning. I’ve made that point to our players, and I think we will stick together,” he said. “I think we’re going to keep getting better, and I think this stretch of the season is going to make us a stronger team down the road when it’s all said and done.”
Walton previously called on the Lakers to remain united heading into their daunting stretch in December.
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