All posts tagged: Lakers

Darius Morris, Former Los Angeles Lakers Point Guard, Dead at 33

Darius Morris, Former Los Angeles Lakers Point Guard, Dead at 33

Published by Sam

Darius Morris, a four-year NBA veteran point guard that played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets, has died at 33, his alma mater, the University of Michigan, confirmed on Saturday. The cause of death was not disclosed. Morris played two years for Michigan under coach John Beilein, reaching the NCAA tournament during his sophomore 2010-11 campaign. His 235 assists that season set a new school record, which has since been passed by Trey Burke (260) and Zavier Simpson (236). After two seasons in college, Morris declared for the NBA Draft and was selected No. 41 overall by his hometown team: the Lakers. Morris played for the Lakers during the last two playoff seasons of Kobe Bryant’s illustrious career, averaging 3.6 points in 67 total appearances for Los Angeles. With Bryant injured in 2013, Morris started two playoff games for the Lakers against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2012-13 season, but the Lakers were eliminated from that series in a four-game sweep. He would go on to play 65 more games in the NBA for four different teams. As a member of the 76ers …

Lakers’ next coach? Here are the potential candidates

Lakers’ next coach? Here are the potential candidates

Published by skeptic

The Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham after two seasons, both of which had unarguable successes but ended with the Lakers losing to Denver in the playoffs. The team reached the Western Conference finals in Ham’s first season and won the in-season tournament in his second. But inconsistent lineups and too much experimentation with personnel combined with a lack of locker room support led to frustration. Whatever the cause, the future is what matters most. Who will the Lakers turn to next? The established candidates There’s an assumption in some NBA circles that the Lakers, as they’ve been prone to doing, will turn hard toward the other direction after deciding the road they were traveling was the wrong one. In the past, they replaced an outsider in Mike D’Antoni with an insider in Byron Scott. They replaced Scott, an experienced coach, with Luke Walton, who was getting his first head coaching job. After Walton, they went with someone more experienced in Frank Vogel, after talking with other experienced coaches such as Monty Williams and Tyronn Lue. …

How LeBron James and the Lakers reached a critical crossroads

How LeBron James and the Lakers reached a critical crossroads

Published by skeptic

LeBron James and his Lakers teammates were overcome with disbelief. They rushed to the monitor on the scorer’s table in Minnesota to see the play in dispute. They pleaded and pointed at the zoomed-in image of the toe of James’ right sneaker and the blue three-point line it might or might not have touched. James was sure he was behind it. Replay officials were not. The shot, which would’ve tied the score and probably forced overtime, was ruled a two. They lost. On Dec. 30 in Minnesota, the Lakers felt they were an inch away from a win, so close to some salvation after a brutal month. “Stevie Wonder can see that, champ,” James said after the loss. “Over there in the replay center or whatever, somebody over there eating a ham sandwich, or somebody made the call.” With the Lakers’ season over, a frame-by-frame examination of what happened isn’t necessary. “Your eyes will tell you,” said one Lakers insider not authorized to publicly discuss team operations. There was no need to enlarge or enhance, …

Hernández: The Lakers must do whatever it takes to keep LeBron James

Hernández: The Lakers must do whatever it takes to keep LeBron James

Published by skeptic

DENVER —  LeBron James raised the microphone to his face. “Ummm,” he started. James smiled and looked at me. “I’m not going to answer that,” he said. James nodded. “Appreciate it,” he said, still smiling. With that, he walked off the dais. The question I asked that James declined to answer: Did he have any thoughts on Monday night that he might have played his last game for the Lakers? The Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, a 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round series, sending them into an offseason of uncertainty. Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon drives past Lakers guards Austin Reaves, left, and D’Angelo Russell during Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Monday in Denver. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press) The most critical of these questions pertains to the 39-year-old James, who can decline his $51.4-million option for next season. When James gave his non-answer after the game, he sounded as if he were negotiating with the Lakers, but this wasn’t about money. …

LeBron James and Lakers stuck in mediocre hell with no hope

LeBron James and Lakers stuck in mediocre hell with no hope

Published by skeptic

Sigh, scream, here we go again, same Lakers ending, same Lakers failure, same two tiresome words. What now? For the 13th time in 14 seasons, the Lakers have fallen far short in their bid to pile on another NBA championship, and, man, is this getting old. The latest quest ended Monday night with a 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets that cemented a four-games-to-one, first-round series defeat while resurrecting another version of the same old query. What next? What can the Lakers do to change this sorry narrative? The answer, frustratingly, is the same as it has been for the five years that the team has been run by the giant talents — and contracts — of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The answer is nothing. Sure, they could let James walk when he opts out of his contract, and trade Davis for a superstar and multiple draft picks, essentially burning the place to the ground and starting from scratch. But when have you known the Lakers to settle for a massive rebuild? And how …

Lakers were built to come back from 3-0 deficit vs. Nuggets

Lakers were built to come back from 3-0 deficit vs. Nuggets

Published by skeptic

While fielding questions after his team’s victory over the Denver Nuggets, Lakers coach Darvin Ham asked a question of his own. “Why not us?” he asked. Why not the Lakers? Why can’t the Lakers be the first in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series? In their 119-108 victory in Game 4, the Lakers proved what was evident in their losses in each of the first three games. They can play with the defending NBA champions. They can beat the defending NBA champions. So, once again, why not them? Why not the Lakers? LeBron James soared on Saturday night, scoring a team-high 30 points. Anthony Davis dominated the boards, collecting 23 rebounds to match his career postseason high. D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves hit shots that preserved the Lakers’ advantage, each of them contributing 21 points. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was kept in check. Forward Aaron Gordon was completely shut down. This is what this Lakers team was built to do. This was the vision for this team when …

How to Watch Today’s Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Playoff Game 4: Start Time, Live Stream

How to Watch Today’s Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Playoff Game 4: Start Time, Live Stream

Published by Sam

The Lakers have one last shot at remaining in the 2024 NBA Playoffs as they host the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series. This rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals could soon be over as Los Angeles finds themselves on the brink of elimination. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT from Crypto.com Arena today. Watch Today’s Game on Sling TV Los Angeles fell to the Nuggets in Game 3 on Thursday, 112-105, falling behind 3-0 in the series. Despite holding double-digit leads in each of their three playoff games against Denver, every contest has ended in a loss for the Lakers. With Thursday’s win, Denver has now beaten the Lakers 11 straight times. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Playoff game, including the series schedule and free livestream options. How to Watch the Nuggets vs. Lakers Playoff Game Without Cable The best-of-seven playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets will be televised between ABC and TNT. If you don’t …

Darvin Ham is on hot seat as Lakers face elimination

Darvin Ham is on hot seat as Lakers face elimination

Published by skeptic

The chant began in the final minutes of another lost season, the blame thundering down from furious Laker fans in four sharp syllables. “Fi-re Dar-vin … Fi-re Dar-vin … Fi-re Dar-vin.” The Lakers are on the precipice of a second consecutive playoff disaster, and it’s becoming clear who could take the fall. In the wake of Thursday’s 112-105 loss to the splendidly coached Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena, the smoking wreckage has seemingly trapped one man. Darvin Ham, just one season after being the toast of the town, is in danger of being toast. His team failed to make the right adjustments and folded in the third quarter again Thursday as they lost to Denver for an unreal 11th consecutive time overall and a third time in three games in this first-round playoff duel. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, so the Lakers are essentially done. No Lakers coach has ever come back from publicly questioning players, publicly angry fans and a publicly embarrassing postseason, …

Why it’s probably too late for LeBron James to ever save Lakers again

Why it’s probably too late for LeBron James to ever save Lakers again

Published by skeptic

DENVER — The collapse ended with a punch to the face, a blow to the ears, a dagger through the heart. The collapse of a million Laker mistakes ended with one Denver Nuggets masterpiece, the ugliness of pretenders trumped by the beauty of champions. Jamal Murray hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, Ball Arena shook with an avalanche of glee, Anthony Davis fell backward into the Denver bench in desperation, and it was over. This game. This nightmare. This series? On a night they held a dominant 20-point lead in the third quarter against a dormant Nuggets team that finally appeared on the verge of vulnerability, it was the Lakers who folded, the Lakers who wilted, the Lakers who disappeared. Again. Again. Again. Of their 10 consecutive losses to the Nuggets, this was surely the worst, a 101-99 defeat pried out of the jaws of victory in Monday’s Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. First round, probably last round for the Lakers, who trail two games to none and now …

Jamal Murray buzzer-beater sends Lakers to crushing Game 2 loss

Jamal Murray buzzer-beater sends Lakers to crushing Game 2 loss

Published by skeptic

DENVER —  One flick of the wrist, the Denver guard moving from left to right with the toughest defender on the court in pursuit. One cushion of space between the two, the ball weightlessly rolling through the mile-high air with a truckload of consequence driving it down. One swished jumper, all the good will and big plays and tireless execution gone, another chance wasted, another game the Lakers can’t have. One final score, Jamal Murray’s winning shot over Anthony Davis giving Denver a stunning 101-99 victory to put the Lakers in a 2-0 series hole that seems way deeper than that. And one more example of why, seemingly no matter what happens, games between the Lakers and the Nuggets will end the same way. Monday was certainly more dramatic, Murray dribbling past Davis just enough to rise and fade toward his bench, the ball ripping through the net. The celebration swallowed Davis, trapped near the Nuggets bench, while Ball Arena bounced in celebration. “Obviously, the only game that matters now is Game 3 and how we …