The Los Angeles Lakers' chances of reaching the play-in tournament crashed when they lost to the Phoenix Suns 112-110 on Tuesday.
Despite Russel Westbrook's 28 points and a double-double performance of 21 points and 13 rebounds from Anthony Davis, the Lakers still lost the crucial game. LeBron James was out due to sprained left ankle.
The purple and gold have no solid answer for Devin Booker's threes, Deandre Ayton's jams, and Chris Paul's dimes that propelled the Suns to a 26-point lead in the third quarter, putting the game out of reach.
Ayton had 22 points and 13 rebounds in the game. Booker finished with 32 points, six three-pointers, seven rebounds, and four assists. Chris Paul registered 12 assists, six points, and four rebounds.
With the win, the Suns have set a new team record with 63 wins in a season, and, for good measure, they have also effectively ended the Lakers' playoff aspirations, according to a report from SB Nation.
Disappointing Season
With the loss, the Lakers fell to 31-49, with only three games remaining against the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets.
NBA legend and former Lakers superstar James Worthy appeared shocked that a team with a roster of high-level talents would miss the playoffs this season.
"I don't have words for this season," Worthy said.
While he did give them some leeway because of the injuries they sustained throughout the season, per Fadeaway World, Worthy emphasized that the Lakers did not perform as predicted by many.
Worthy said that this season's team was "assembled over the summer and predicted to win a championship" but just never really got its "engine to run the way it was supposed to run."
Before the season started, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins called the Lakers the title favorites. But now, per Clutch Points, he calls them the league's "Biggest Disappointments" in his recent tweet.
This Lakers team not making the playoffs is one the Biggest Disappointments in NBA HISTORY!!! It’s one thing to underachieve in the Playoffs but to not make it at all is RIDICULOUS. Carry on….
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 6, 2022
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Roster Changes Expected
Analysts believe that there will be drastic changes in the Lakers' roster in the offseason, in which Westbrook has a big chance to be traded. His poor shooting and lack of chemistry with LeBron James and Davis substantially impacted the team's performance this season.
But after the game, when journalists asked Westbrook if he still wanted to play for the Lakers next season, the superstar guard said he wanted to give it another shot.
However, the Lakers had sacrificed a lot to obtain him, giving up role players Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Mantrezl Harrell, and a first-round draft pick.
The squad ended up with a roster filled with players past their prime that failed the tasks, particularly on defense.
Westbrook's performance this season has been up and down, though he has played exceptionally well in the last few games. On Tuesday, he scored 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting, but he also had six turnovers and only three assists.
Per Lakers Daily. the LA Lakers will likely part ways with Westbrook this summer, in some way or another. His contract, which will pay him almost $47 million next season, will make rebuilding the team seemingly impossible.
