The Los Angeles Lakers were sent crashing back to earth after getting manhandled by the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and see their five-game winning streak halted. What went wrong for them? DeAndre Ayton thinks it is in their mindset entering the game.
The Lakers were riding on a hot streak after beating five teams despite the absence of at least three key players in each. They won the last which was against the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama.
The Hawks, on the other hand, are 1-2 in their last three and does not have star Trae Young for five games now. Three other key players – Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, and Kristaps Porzingis – were also ruled out for the game.
The Lakers continues to miss Austin Reaves and Lebron James but they have superstar Luka Doncic. So how did they lose this game?
Ayton thinks them being favored got to their heads.
“Really, probably leaving those guys underestimated, not keeping those guys in account,” Ayton said after the game.
“Forgetting about them that this is the NBA and those are NBA players… I feel like we were just behind the ball a little bit, and they killed us in transition, and they played amazing defense. And we weren’t ready for it, and JJ [Redick] basically got on us about it. Yeah, we ready for the next game.”
DeAndre Ayton is not worried
It is only the Lakers’ third loss this season. Ayton, who has been stellar in his new unis, is specific about the team’s problems against the Hawks but he is not worried.
There are 72 games left and the Lakers big man is looking forward to the next ones.
“We know what we’re coming up against and seeing how they played, they played phenomenal, but us not even competing in a sense,” he continued.
“It looks bad on paper and looks bad on film. This is one of those games where the food is gonna taste bad tonight. But this is the NBA, we got 82 games. Next game up.”
Both Reaves and James are not expected to return immediately and things can get tough for LA as they embark on a four-game road trip, starting with Charlotte Hornets and capping it off against the Milwaukee Bucks.
For the latest Basketball Content
Make sure you are always updated on your favorite basketball players and teams. Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for the latest and trending news about NBA, college basketball, and more. Stay updated by reading more of our NBA articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
