Darvin Ham rips Lakers after uninspired second-half collapse: ‘It’s over for excuses’

Read this article for free!

Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account!

Please enter a valid email address.

By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

The Lakers are in the midst of what has largely been a season filled with inconsistency. Los Angeles fell to 21-22 on Friday night after collapsing in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets.

At one point in the game, the Lakers held a six-point lead, only to let the game slip away after they left the locker room for the final two quarters of the contest. The Lakers were outscored by 24 points in the second half and allowed only 44 points after halftime. That matched the fewest points they have allowed in the second half this season.

The poor second half showing sparked some blunt criticism from second-year Lakers coach Darvin Ham. 

“Talk about the tale of two different halves,” Ham said. “That first half is what we’re working towards. . . . And then the inconsistency showed up and reared its head in the second half. . . .  We have to decide which team we’re gonna be.”

Ham then suggested that the time to use excuses had expired.

“It’s over for the excuses,” Ham continued. “We got to play basketball.”

FAN KICKED OUT OF LAKERS-THUNDER GAME AFTER TOUCHING LEBRON JAMES ON BENCH: REPORT

Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn told his team at halftime he wanted them to be more physical. 

The Nets went on a 23-8 run over a six-minute span in the third quarter to grab an 87-78 advantage. Brooklyn took the lead with a 12-4 run, including a three-pointer by Bridges to give them their first lead at 76-74 with 8:09 remaining in the quarter.

LeBron James looks on during a game

The Lakers played inspired basketball earlier in the season during the team’s run to winning the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, but they have largely underwhelmed since they hoisted the NBA Cup.

The Lakers have gone 7-13 since the tournament’s championship game. The team has also suffered multiple four-game losing streaks during that span.

Darvin Ham coaches Lakers during the first half

Former NBA coach and current television broadcaster Doc Rivers pointed out the possible issue with the Lakers’ body language presented during Friday’s loss. 

Lakers star Austin Reaves was asked whether the team’s body language in the second half partially stemmed from any possible frustration with the way the game had been officiated.

“Nah. I think all the body language, frustration comes from losing,” Reaves responded.

The Lakers currently sit in the tenth spot in the Western Conference standings.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Read the full article Here

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DON’T MISS OUT!
Subscribe To Newsletter
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
Stay Updated
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime.
close-link