The Los Angeles Lakers, who had won seven of their last nine games, faced a stiff test when they played the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. It would be a much more rigid challenge than they possibly could’ve expected.
After playing the Sixers competitively in the opening minutes of the game, the Sixers went on a 20-8 run to open up a sizable lead, and from there on, they launched an extended blitzkrieg on Los Angeles.
They did most of their damage from 3-point range, where they shot 22-of-46 and came within one make of a franchise record. It didn’t matter whether they were open or covered — they simply couldn’t seem to miss from downtown, and they likely could’ve made 10 treys had they played the entire game with blindfolds on.
The Lakers simply got completely outplayed in this 138-94 loss. They were outrebounded by a wide margin, which led to 26 second-chance points for Philly, and they had half as many free throw attempts as Joel Embiid and company. In addition, L.A. couldn’t hit from the outside itself — it went just 7-of-28 from that distance.
This game was tied for the fifth-most lopsided loss in its illustrious history.
The Lakers’ road trip will continue on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, as they look to improve their 10-8 record on the season.
Anthony Davis: C-plus
Davis came out very aggressive offensively. He scored eight points in the first few minutes of the game, and he drew Joel Embiid’s second foul with 8:08 left in the first quarter. But from that point on, he wasn’t enough of a factor.
He finished with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and one steal in 32 minutes. On the other end, he allowed Embiid to go off for 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He couldn’t keep Embiid off the offensive boards, as the reigning league MVP seemingly channeled former Sixers Hall of Fame center Moses Malone to grab four offensive rebounds while also going 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
Taurean Prince: B
Prince’s offensive output has been sporadic this season. But on Monday, he actually contributed by going 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range to score 11 points while adding four rebounds in 29 minutes.
He said during the offseason that he wants to shoot 40% from downtown this season. He has tons of work to do if he is to have any shot at achieving that milestone.
Max Christie: B-minus/C-plus
In another start in place of Cam Reddish, Christie went 3-of-6 from the field, although he missed all three of his 3-point attempts. He had six points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 26 minutes.
Defensively, Christie brings good energy and effort, but it didn’t matter on this night, as rising Sixers star Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points and dished off eight assists without committing a single turnover.
D'Angelo Russell: B/B-plus
After a poor game in Cleveland on Saturday, Russell was efficient for the Lakers. He was 5-of-10 overall and 1-of-2 from downtown to score 12 points, and he dealt out seven assists with no turnovers in 24 minutes.
LeBron James: C
James didn’t assert himself much in this game, and perhaps he didn’t see any real reason to, given his team was out of contention for most of the game. He scored only 18 points in 30 minutes, although he was very efficient by going 8-of-12 from the field.
The 38-year-old also had five assists, one steal and one blocked shot, but it was one of the few times anyone will ever see him go an entire game without grabbing any rebounds.
Christian Wood: C/C-minus
Wood got hot in Saturday’s win, but he shot just 3-of-9 overall and 0-of-5 from beyond the arc on Monday while also committing three turnovers. He has been a disappointment offensively for much of this season so far, and the Lakers need to do a better job of setting him up for easier baskets, especially in iso situations on the box.
One thing Wood has done a decent job of this season is rebounding. He got seven rebounds in 22 minutes, and he also added a blocked shot.
Austin Reaves: C
Reaves shot 4-of-10 overall and 1-of-4 from 3-point lead versus Philly, giving him 12 points plus two rebounds, two assists and three turnovers in 29 minutes. At times, former Laker Patrick Beverley pressured him defensively and got the absolute best of him, and Reaves seemed a bit bothered about it after the game.
Jaxson Hayes: B/B-minus
Hayes continues to show decent energy when he gets onto the floor. He scored seven points, got two rebounds, both of them coming on the offensive glass, and blocked a shot in 19 minutes. He even got up two 3-point attempts, both of which he missed, but he may be developing into a solid option off the bench for head coach Darvin Ham.
Jalen Hood-Schifino: C-minus/D-plus
Hood-Schifino made his regular season debut somewhat unexpectedly after dealing with a knee ailment the last few weeks. He instantly attempted an open 3-pointer, which he missed, and he missed all three of his shot attempts in 11 minutes. His one positive contribution on the stat sheet was two assists.
It will be helpful for him to have Ham find some spot duty for him, as the 20-year-old needs court time during games to develop into whatever he can become.
D'Moi Hodge: B-minus
In a rare appearance, Hodge, an undrafted rookie guard, went 1-of-3 with all of his attempts coming from 3-point territory.
Maxwell Lewis, Alex Fudge: Incomplete
Both rookie frontcourt players got onto the court in garbage time on Monday. Fudge scored a basket, while Lewis missed his only field-goal attempt and got one offensive rebound in eight minutes.
