True Lakers Fans

(36-36) QUEENS AT LAKERS (31-41)

Sunday, March 24, 2019, 6:30 PM PDT
Staples Center • Los Angeles, CA

Referees: Eric Lewis (#42), Mark Ayotte (#56), Matt Boland (#18)

Replay Center: Bennie Adams, Kevin Cutler, Kevin Scott

Line: Queens -3

Local TV: Spectrum SportsNet







GAME PREVIEW: QUEENS AT LAKERS

by NBA.com

The Los Angeles Lakers haven't had many reasons to get excited lately. Maybe the chance to erode the playoff chances of the Sacramento Kings can get them motivated.

The Lakers will attempt to get in the way of Sacramento's first playoff appearance in 13 years while also trying to avoid losing six straight games for the first time this season when they meet on Sunday evening in Los Angeles.

Sacramento enters Sunday 5 1/2 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Kings have 10 games left and the Spurs have nine. They face each other on March 31 in San Antonio.

Sacramento trimmed a half-game off that deficit with a 112-103 win against the visiting Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. The Kings last made the playoffs in 2006, which capped eight straight postseason appearances, three of which were ended by the Lakers.

Even if the Kings come up short of the playoffs this season, they know they have a bright future.

Buddy Hield shot 7-for-14 from 3-point range and scored 25 points against the Suns to give the third-year guard 245 treys for the Kings this season, breaking Peja Stojakovic's franchise record of 240 set in 2003-04.

Marvin Bagley III, the second overall pick in the draft last June, scored at least 20 points off the bench in three straight games for the first time this season before finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds against Phoenix.

Kings coach Dave Joerger said the organization is fortunate to have Bagley.

"The sky's the limit for Marvin," Joerger told reporters before the game against Phoenix. "You talk about just scraping the tip of what he can do, talent-wise, it's going to be really fun to be around him for a long, long time."

Los Angeles was eliminated from the playoffs after losing 111-106 to the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Friday. It's the sixth straight year the Lakers will miss out on the postseason.

Lakers coach Luke Walton told reporters after the loss that his team still has attainable goals.

"It's still about players getting better," he said. "It's still about going out there and respecting the game and giving everything we have to try to win."

It's uncertain whether Lakers starting center JaVale McGee will be part of the team's future plans, but he delivered one of the best performances by a big man in team history against the Nets.

McGee had career highs of 33 points and 20 rebounds while also blocking six shots, making him the first Lakers player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978 and the first NBA player since David Robinson in 1994 to combine for those stats.

McGee will be matched against Sacramento center Willie Cauley-Stein, who delivered 10 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 116-110 win against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, but he was held to three points and no rebounds against the Suns.

Cauley-Stein had a double-double in two of three meetings against the Lakers this season, and finished one rebound short in the other.

The Lakers will be without guard Josh Hart (knee) and power forward Mike Muscala is questionable (ankle), but LeBron James is probable (left knee contusion).

The Lakers have 10 games remaining, nine against teams that weren't eliminated from playoff contention as of Saturday. They'll need to win four of those games to match last season's 35-win total.

"We got to keep playing hard and find a way to scrap the next win out because it's the only way to get off the type of skid that we're on," Walton said.

lakerevolution wrote:"It's still about players getting better," he said. "It's still about going out there and respecting the game and giving everything we have to try to win."

Not gonna say I've lost respect for Luke, but wow what a dud we dropped this year. His meaningless rhetoric has probably alienated half the team.

Still -- GO LAKERS. Dropping games actually helps us, I think.

3Peatkb24 wrote:We won. Has anyone noticed that Mcgee has been playing like an all-star lately? He has been putting up great overall numbers. We should bring him back next year. No way am I trading Kuzma either, he is our 2nd best player.

KobeMVP888 wrote:

3Peatkb24 wrote:We won. Has anyone noticed that Mcgee has been playing like an all-star lately? He has been putting up great overall numbers. We should bring him back next year. No way am I trading Kuzma either, he is our 2nd best player.

Bring him back to back up Nikola Vucevic. I really don't see anyone else who we can get. The pneumonia really derailed JaVale's season. It took him a long time to get back to full strength.

As for Luke, he is a true scapegoat. They shouldn't fire him. He had nothing to do with this horror story. It ain't him at all. WTF is he supposed to say at this point? As far as I am concerned this is ALL on Jeanie Buss, Magic and Pelinka. Period.

3Peatkb24 wrote:I like Luke as a person (same for Pagano) and loved his dad as a player but the players don't seem to respect him. That is a problem. As I posted a week or 2 ago, I blame LeBron for most of this. He did not live up to his billing this season. I suppose Magic can be blamed for signing him but nobody thought we would not make the playoffs with him. I am more upset with Magic for not re-signing Randle than anything else he has done.

KobeMVP888 wrote:

3Peatkb24 wrote:I like Luke as a person (same for Pagano) and loved his dad as a player but the players don't seem to respect him. That is a problem. As I posted a week or 2 ago, I blame LeBron for most of this. He did not live up to his billing this season. I suppose Magic can be blamed for signing him but nobody thought we would not make the playoffs with him. I am more upset with Magic for not re-signing Randle than anything else he has done.

1. Jeanie Buss should not have hired a front office with no NBA front office experience.
2. She should have looked outside Lakerland and found people who are in touch with how things are done in the modern NBA.
3. Hence, she and her siblings should sell the team because all they see is Purple and Gold.
4. They NEVER should have traded Lou Williams; they could have just sat him the rest of that season. Now the Clippers have him for steal.
5. They did NOT get enough for D'Angelo Russell and it is showing now.
6. I'm OK with the Nance/Clarkson deal.
7. I'm OK with the LeBron signing, but wasn't thrilled about it because he's past his prime. I hope they trade him, but they won't. If they do, maybe Kawhi comes.
8. They should have re-signed Julius Randle to a long term deal; he could have always been traded later for a disgruntled superstar if it came to that.
9. They could have had Brook Lopez back for cheap and fucked that up.
10. I'm OK with signing JaVale McGee and would love to see him back as a back up to either Nikola Vucevic or Boogie (on a team friendly deal).
11. Rondo, Lance and Beasley were disastrous signings; everyone KNOWS that LeBron needs shooters around him.
12. I hope they don't fuck up the summer.
13. I still believe that Luke is a solid coach and should stay. As for LeBron, I don't blame him; he's old and got injured.

3Peatkb24 wrote:Just to hit on some of your points:
1. I am still not sold on that Magic cannot do the job, too early to tell.
5. Russell needed to go, he and Lonzo would've never worked together and we got rid of Mozgov's contract by doing the trade.
8. I agree 100%. Not re-signing Randle was a bad move.
10. Sounds like a good plan.
11. We do need more shooters around LeBron, remember when I wanted JJ Redick? I still like Lance, he brings a spark to any team. Beasley was a waste, Rondo = a bad fit for the team.
12. This is the key, if they do fuck it up we are in huge trouble.
13. The players seem to not respect Luke at times, I don't see him as a good fit for our team. JMO.

KobeMVP888 wrote:

3Peatkb24 wrote:Just to hit on some of your points:
1. I am still not sold on that Magic cannot do the job, too early to tell.
5. Russell needed to go, he and Lonzo would've never worked together and we got rid of Mozgov's contract by doing the trade.
8. I agree 100%. Not re-signing Randle was a bad move.
10. Sounds like a good plan.
11. We do need more shooters around LeBron, remember when I wanted JJ Redick? I still like Lance, he brings a spark to any team. Beasley was a waste, Rondo = a bad fit for the team.
12. This is the key, if they do fuck it up we are in huge trouble.
13. The players seem to not respect Luke at times, I don't see him as a good fit for our team. JMO.

1. Magic has been fined for tampering multiple times and has tarred his reputation with agents and players, never mind Pelinka being a somewhat controversial figure.
5. I didn't say D'Angelo should not have be traded, just that they didn't get enough for him. Getting rid of Mozgov, Lopez and a #27 pick wasn't enough. Another #1 should have been included or Caris Levert, who I though was part of the deal.
11. Why weren't Magic and Pelinka smart enough to surround LeBron with three point shooters, especially when our existing core was already weak from downtown and at the line? Wayne Ellington was available. Brook Lopez could have been re-signed. Those two would have been far superior to the shit they signed. Lance is shit.
13. I have no idea how the players feel about Luke. All I know is that Magic and Rob made his job impossible with the roster they assembled and I said that before the season and unfortunately it turned out to be true. That is so much more on Magic and Pelinka than it is on Luke. He shouldn't be a scapegoat.

3Peatkb24 wrote:By the way, great Lakers discussion for a change Kenny. It has been a while since we have touched on many issues that the team has. I have blocked this season out a lot by talking Colts and Cubs but I enjoyed your 13 points.