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LeBron James, Lakers Set Undesirable Record in Sorry Loss on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Mariano | Last updated Dec 2, 2024 11:32 PM ET

After a solid start, the Los Angeles Lakers looked listless in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves and suffered a 109-80 blowout defeat on the road on Monday.

The Lakers, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, were outscored in the last two quarters, 53-36, to fall to 12-9. They beat the Utah Jazz at home on Sunday.

LeBron James only had 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting. He has now missed 19 straight three-pointers. Anthony Davis wasn't any better, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting.

D'Angelo Russell, who returned from an illness, led the Lakers in scoring with 20 points.

With the sorry loss, the Purple and Gold also set an undesirable record. The 80-point output is the team's lowest since James joined the squad in 2018, according to Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike. It was also the Lakers' lowest production since 2017.

Lakers lose 109-80. Lowest scoring game of the LeBron James era with the Lakers. Fewest points for the Lakers since Jan 22, 2017
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) December 3, 2024

Before the game against the Timberwolves, the Lakers were averaging 113.9 points per game. They beat Minnesota in their season opener, 110-103.

The campaign has been up-and-down for James and company, who have lost five of their last seven outings after going on a six-game winning streak.

Woike also shared what Lakers coach JJ Redick said regarding the need to iron out the kinks in their offense.

"Overall, just more body and ball movement," said Redick.

"Overall, just more body and ball movement," Redick said of what he needs to see from the LAL offense
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) December 3, 2024

It didn't help that the team's third-leading scorer, Austin Reaves, missed his second straight game due to a back injury. He's averaging a career-high 16.7 points per outing.

It has been a tough stretch for the Lakers, who were booted out of contention for the NBA Cup, which they won last season, after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 101-93, on Friday.

They will hope to return to the win column against James' former team, the Miami Heat, on Wednesday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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