The Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 indignity was predictable on Tuesday, but that doesn\u2019t mean it counts any less in the standings.<\/p>\n
The Lakers faced the NBA\u2019s top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder while missing Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (out for the rest of the regular season with a hamstring strain<\/a>), LeBron James (out Tuesday with a foot injury<\/a>), Austin Reaves (out for the rest of the regular season with an oblique strain<\/a>), Marcus Smart (out since March 21 with an ankle injury) and Jaxson Hayes (out Tuesday with foot soreness).<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n That\u2019s four starters and a rotation big man, against a team that beat them by 43 points last week<\/a>. This time, the Thunder beat them 123-87,<\/a> handing L.A. its third straight loss after a stretch in which it won 13 of 14 games.<\/p>\n On the bright side, Bronny James had a nice dunk on his way to four points on 2-of-9 shooting.<\/p>\n With their top players out, Rui Hachimura led the team in scoring with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. DeAndre Ayton, the Lakers\u2019 lone remaining starter from their regular unit in the previous few months, posted only three points on 1-of-4 shooting and three rebounds in 23 minutes.<\/p>\n When asked why the team hasn\u2019t been able to feature Ayton more lately, head coach JJ Redick provided a blunt assessment<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s having trouble catching the ball. We\u2019ve ran a bunch of plays for him, he\u2019s just had trouble catching the ball. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s the passing or if it\u2019s him trying to get position. He hasn\u2019t been able to catch the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n Clinta Capela is probably laughing somewhere.<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Redick also downplayed an in-huddle argument with Jarred Vanderbilt<\/a>, calling it \u201cnothing personal\u201d and about getting on the same page<\/a>. Vanderbilt reportedly<\/a> left the arena without taking questions.<\/p>\n It\u2019s looking dire for the Lakers<\/p>\n The Lakers were third in the Western Conference standings when they entered last week\u2019s game against the Thunder and are now sitting in fourth. They are also in danger of falling to fifth behind the Houston Rockets and losing home-court advantage in the first round.<\/p>\n