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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Marvi

Terrell Owens: Lakers had more pride in winning in-season tournament than Nuggets series

The Los Angeles Lakers have looked helpless and clueless during their first-round playoff series versus the Denver Nuggets. Despite building double-digit leads in each of the first three games of the series, they have lost each of those games, and they’re now on the verge of being swept.

Every time they have seen one of their leads start to diminish, they have shown a remarkable lack of resourcefulness. They have also shown a lack of fight, especially as the series has devolved into a one-sided affair.

The Lakers celebrated their in-season tournament title in December with champagne, which caused some to mock them for making too much out of winning the inaugural NBA Cup. That victory now seems completely insignificant and distant.

Former NFL star wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens feels the team cared more about winning that tourney than it does about trying to knock the defending world champs out of the playoffs (h/t Lakers Daily).

Game 4 of the best-of-seven matchup will take place on Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena. Even if the Lakers somehow manage to win, it would do very little, if anything, to alter the complexion of the series, let alone its outcome.

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