The Los Angeles Lakers appeared to be on track in Wednesday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings, jumping out to a 19-point lead in the first quarter, but everything rapidly went apart.
The Lakers lost 130-120 to the Kings at home, thanks in large part to a 44-point explosion by De’Aaron Fox, as well as some dubious coaching decisions by Darvin Ham.
Sacramento outscored Los Angeles 44-20 in the second quarter, swiftly overcoming their deficit. Ham regularly declined to call a timeout to prevent the Kings from mounting a run. The Lakers trailed by as much as 22 points in the third quarter, but once again, Ham did little to stop the
To make matters worse for the Lakers, star player LeBron James strained his ankle and departed the game with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He led the team with 31 points and 13 assists, but his individual brilliance wasn’t enough to secure victory.
Lakers fans did not hold back their emotions with Ham following Wednesday’s disheartening loss.
Prior to previous season, Ham took over the Lakers as his first head coaching role, although he has yet to demonstrate his ability to consistently lead the team. Los Angeles’ success has been attributed to the star power of James and Anthony Davis, so it’s reasonable to wonder if Ham has had any influence on the club during his stint.
Perhaps the The Lakers job is simply too much for a first-time head coach. With James reaching the end of his illustrious career, there is tremendous pressure to compete for an NBA championship. Under Ham, Los Angeles is fortunate to be in the running for a position in the play-in tournament.
The Lakers will aim to rebound on Friday when they play the Milwaukee Bucks, with whom Ham had worked as an assistant before being hired in Los Angeles.
