The Lakers’ locker room after Friday’s night loss to the New York Knicks was sullen, players frustrated by a loss to one of the worst clubs in the NBA.
Josh Hart’s voice was barely a whisper as he talked about the Lakers’ young players being in new roles with so many teammates injured. Brandon Ingram talked about being comfortable only when his team is winning. Lonzo Ball lamented how the Lakers kept losing the same way.
The Lakers needed some fire, some presence to reassure them that a loss to a bad team can be offset by an unexpected win over a great one.