PHOENIX — The Los Angeles Lakers let another one slip away Thursday night, dropping a 122-119 decision to the Phoenix Suns and extending their streak of last-minute setbacks to two games.
Guard Marcus Smart, signed in the offseason and already one of the team’s most vocal leaders, said defensive breakdowns decided the outcome. “They do a good job of playing with pace, and we just didn’t communicate,” Smart told Spectrum SportsNet. “A lot of their shots — I think like eight of them — were just that we didn’t talk, we didn’t switch when we were supposed to, and they got to set their feet and have all day and knock it down.”
The defeat followed Tuesday’s 111-110 loss to the Orlando Magic, marking back-to-back close finishes in which Los Angeles faltered in crunch time.
Accountability in the Locker Room
Smart emphasized that the responsibility lies with the players, not the coaching staff. “This game is a game of runs,” he said. “We just gotta do a better job of closing it out… That’s on us. It’s nothing the coaches can do.”
Head coach JJ Redick echoed the sentiment, adding that any Lakers loss draws amplified attention because of the franchise’s profile. Redick praised his roster for owning mistakes instead of blaming the game plan.
Looking Ahead
The Lakers, now 34-24, head to Denver for a Saturday matchup with the defending champion Nuggets, still searching for the late-game execution that once defined them.
Source: Lakers Nation
