The Los Angeles Lakers got blown out of the water against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. The Bucks outscored the Lakers by 22 points in the first half and never relinquished the lead as they went on to easily win the game. As the defending champions, they are the team to beat in the NBA, and the Lakers are no match for them at the moment.
Speaking after the game, LeBron James seemed quite dejected as he discussed the Lakers' situation following the loss. The King was asked about whether the Lakers could match the level that Milwaukee played at and his answer could be construed as an admission of the fact that LA is unlikely to see another title win during this season, at the very least.
Interviewer: "Does this loss tell you something deeper about your team compared to the Bucks?"
LeBron: "Yeah, it tells me we ain't on their level. I mean, I could have probably told you that before the game, so like..."
Interviewer: "Do you think you can reach that level?"
LeBron: "Where we are right now? Umm, I don't know. Umm, do I think we can reach the level where Milwaukee is right now? Umm, no. Is that what you want to hear from me?"
After a bit of a slump to start the season, Milwaukee has found their groove again, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the charge yet again. The Greek Freak has made himself an MVP candidate and his team has found their groove again. This is in stark contrast to the Los Angeles Lakers, who have fallen 3 games below .500 again and are struggling to even make it to the playoffs.
This loss has left the Lakers with a 26-29 record once again and a 27-point performance from LeBron James has seemingly gone to waste once again. What happens with Russell Westbrook remains to be seen after he again played just 26 minutes of basketball during the loss. In any case, considering that the Bucks are aiming to repeat as champions, it's safe to agree that the Los Angeles Lakers aren't close to them as a team currently.
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