ATLANTA — Russell Westbrook stood in his defensive stance while Trae Young calmly got ready to attack — and that attack was coming faster than the Lakers' could've realized.
Young quickly launched a three-pointer from well behind the three-point line, the ball rattling around the rim before falling through the hoop — a fitting ending for the Lakers' six-game road trip.
The Hawks, despite allowing the Lakers to score at will for most of the game, out-gunned them 129-121, capping the season-long trip with four losses against just two wins (against Orlando and a very undermanned Brooklyn).
Malik Monk, returning after missing Friday's game in Charlotte, scored 33 with 10 rebounds. Anthony Davis, also back after missing Friday, added 27 and Russell Westbrook scored 20 with seven rebounds and 12 assists. And still, somehow, it wasn't good enough, even with the Lakers making 54% of their shots.
Young tortured the Lakers' defense for most of the night, but especially late, carving up the coverages and leaving players like Davis visibly frustrated. Young found ex-USC big man Onyeka Okongwu for a lob and then stepped back to hit jumpers, unfazed by whatever the Lakers threw at him.
He finished with 36 points and 12 assists.
The Lakers left for Orlando 11 days ago on this trip, certain of really only one thing. Win or lose, chaos or not, LeBron James would play well.
Their trip ended with James already back in Los Angeles, his swollen knee keeping him out of a third-straight game leaving the Lakers short-handed in their shot at breaking even on this trip.
James had missed games in Philadelphia and Charlotte before returning to Los Angeles on Saturday. James underwent a MRI test on his knee, with Vogel saying the scan only revealed general swelling.
Vogel said it's a possibility that James could play Wednesday against Portland if the swelling goes down, though he'll undergo further examinations early this week.
"As long as the swelling is there, he's going to be out," Vogel said. "And hopefully [we'll] get him back as soon as we can."
Before the injury, James said he was in one of the best offensive rhythms of his career. He had scored at least 25 points in 18 straight games (17 with Davis injured). Over those 18 games, James averaged 32.5 points while making 54% of his shots.
On the season, James is shooting 52.2% — his best field-goal percentage since joining the Lakers. He's doing it on 20.9 shots per game — the most he's taken for a team since 2007-08 when he was just 23.
And while James has repeatedly maintained that his workload this season isn't more than he can handle — his knee injury is the third separate ailment (ankle, abdomen) to sideline him for multiple games this season.
So even as James has played like a much younger player when he's been on the floor, some of the injuries suggest his age, 37, is still worth considering.
"Yeah, I think about it every day. We're always mindful of the load that he's carrying, in constant communication with him and the medical team," Vogel said. "And in terms of what we do going forward with the knee and where he's at, it's really a heavy lean on the medical staff and [assistant athletic trainer] Mike Mancias and what they feel is best. It's really not a head coach thing as much as it is relying on the medical team."
Sunday, the Lakers couldn't rely on their offense for long enough, the Hawks getting more stops and making more shots to win their seventh game in a row.
