The Lakers’ loss to the Heat was one of the worst in franchise history

The Lakers’ loss to the Heat was one of the worst in franchise history

Losing is bad, but making history while doing so is even worse. That’s exactly what the Lakers did on Wednesday in their 134-93 loss to the Heat.

Overall, the team put in a pathetic performance, but the 41-point loss landed them in the record books for all the wrong reasons. This loss was the franchise’s eighth-worst loss since the ABA/NBA merger. They also allowed the Heat to make 24 three-pointers, setting a new franchise record for baskets from distance.

When you play for a team like the Lakers that has played in thousands of games since the merger, the last thing you want to do is suffer a loss that puts you in the top ten of biggest losses in that span.

After the game, everyone associated with the Lakers discussed accountability and taking responsibility, but far too often this season, LA hasn’t brought the right level of competition to games.

During this road trip, the Lakers have found new and interesting ways to embarrass the city they represent.

First, they mustered just 80 points in Monday’s loss to the Wolves, the team’s worst offensive game since Jan. 22, 2017, when they lost 122-73 to the Mavericks.

At their encore on Wednesday, they acted like Heat fans and didn’t even show up at the Kaseya Center. They were chased out of the gym and coach JJ Redick had to vacate his bench with less than nine minutes to play.

The Lakers have now lost six of their last eight games, are 12-10 this season and have been beaten by 20 or more points five times.

Everything is trending downward right now, and what’s concerning is that these losses came not against the best teams in the NBA, but against average opponents that have struggled to stay above .500.

Sure, the Lakers are dealing with a lot of injuries and that hasn’t helped their cause. Austin Reaves has missed three games, Jaxson Hayes is out with a sprained ankle, and Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt have yet to play this year. Nevertheless, no context justifies these results.

In short, whether the Lakers scored just 80 points or allowed 134, this squad did not perform satisfactorily on both ends of the floor.

Redick can spend as much time as he wants in dark rooms after defeats. But if things don’t improve, he’ll discover just how cold Los Angeles can be in a winless winter.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.

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