The Los Angeles Lakers faced a disheartening defeat at home against the Miami Heat (110-96), drawing sharp criticism from Lakers legend James Worthy, who labeled the performance “unacceptable.”
Despite the Heat missing Jimmy Butler, the Lakers struggled, posting a dismal 3-9 record in their last 12 games. The game showcased the Lakers’ worst of the season, marked by a season-high 21 turnovers and a meager 13.3% success rate from beyond the arc.
In a standout individual effort, Anthony Davis led the Lakers with an impressive stat line—29 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks. Austin Reaves, starting per head coach Darvin Ham’s decision, contributed significantly with 24 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
LeBron James, however, experienced his worst game of the season, scoring just 12 points and struggling with his shooting (6/18 from the field, 0/6 from three-point range).
Starters Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish ended the game with zero points, adding to the Lakers’ offensive struggles.
Worthy, sharing his post-game thoughts on Spectrum SportsNet, expressed deep disappointment in the team’s performance. He deemed the Lakers’ display “unacceptable” and criticized their lack of urgency, especially in the crucial first quarter.
“When you come home, you say you’re going to get some home cooking and reboot,” he said. “To come up with a performance like this. Regardless of who’s in and who’s out, you do not come home and stink up the gym like they did.
“Miami was without Butler and they played with a sense of urgency. They had motion, they had togetherness. Their entire starting five scored in double figures. We had two guys in our starting five with zero points.
Worthy highlighted the stark contrast in playing style between the two teams, emphasizing the Heat’s motion-oriented and cohesive offense compared to the Lakers’ stagnant and disjointed performance.
“That stinks and it stinks when you come home and don’t have a sense of urgency in the first quarter,” he continued. “We talked about how critical it is and how poorly they have been performing in the first quarter and they never picked it up…
“This offense doesn’t flow. It just doesn’t. When I look at Miami and the players they have, it was motion, motion, motion. Our offense, it just kind of got stagnant and then defense was, I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem like they were mentally into the game.”
The Lakers’ legend concluded by describing the game as “ugly and unacceptable,” urging the team to address their issues promptly.
