Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton said he was only looking for one thing prior to their game against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night, and that was for his team to play with passion and joy. Walton got exactly what he asked for in the first quarter of action at Staples Center, but it all slipped off from there as the Lakers dropped their fourth straight, losing 102-97.
After the game, even Walton admitted he knows that he sounds like a broken record, but it’s not going to stop him from preaching the same message. Jordan Clarkson finished with 16 points, now shooting 21-37 from the field over the last three games, and averaging 17.0 points per game. Clarkson thought the Lakers played ‘too tight’ when they got a lead, and need to find their killer instinct.
Rookie Brandon Ingram had been improving his shooting percentages in the month of January, but finished just 1-7 with five points, four rebounds and three assists. Walton admitted that he’s thinking about the future when he decides whether to give Ingram the experience of closing out games.
Ingram talks about what he’s learning to close games that is different from the first three quarters. It’s all in our videos below.
Brandon Ingram
Jordan Clarkson
