The Lakers Look A Delirious Mess

Gather now to review some things that happened in the Lakers’ 117-113 loss to the Hawks—yes, the 19-38 Hawks—last night.

Trae Young, who went for 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 14 dimes, had himself some fun.

Possibly too much fun for LeBron’s comfort. This wasn’t even the only time the rookie nutmegged No. 23 in this game.

LeBron logged a 28-11-16 triple-double to tie Wilt Chamberlain’s fifth all-time mark, and came out with plus-minus of 0 in a loss to the 12th-best squad in the East. Young was actively hunting him on switches.

The Hawks scored a hearty 20 points on 14 possessions where LeBron was credited as the primary defender on Young. This one here ended the game.

The Lakers now sit 10th in the West, with the ninth-toughest schedule in the league from here on; this was one of the few gimmes they had left on the docket. As NBA.com’s Micah Adams pointed out, it’s the deepest into a season that a LeBron James team has remained below .500 since his rookie year. The groin injury adds an asterisk, of course, but it’s all looking ugly and there’s no single-browed savior coming to repair it. Remember that feel-good scene against the Celtics? Was that this decade?

Anyway, it’s time for some red, per ESPN:

James was then asked if some players had already mentally checked out with the break approaching.

“That’s a possibility,” he said.

All was not lost, however. James made the rounds in the locker room wishing teammates well before ducking out with a couple of bottles of wine in tow for his flight to some far-off destination.

Fret not, Lakers fans! Surely at some point in March they’ll rip off, like, three wins in a row and then someone at ESPN will rewrit with a straight face.