Lakers’ errors lead to elimination from NBA Cup

Lakers’ errors lead to elimination from NBA Cup, but ‘there’s definitely good stuff’ https://t.co/9ly48xXkI5

— LakerTom (@LakerTom) November 30, 2024

With the Los Angeles Lakers trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder by two points, and less than 30 seconds remaining in Friday night’s game, the Lakers needed a defensive stop for a chance to tie or take the lead.

As Max Christie crouched in his stance, waiting for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to charge, coach JJ Redick called out a defensive coverage.

Christie, misunderstanding what Redick was signaling, thought his coach was implying the Lakers had a foul to give and fouled Gilgeous-Alexander on a drive. The Lakers did not have a foul to give. The Thunder were already in the bonus — and had been in the bonus for several minutes.

Gilgeous-Alexander calmly walked to the free-throw line and sank both shots, extending the Thunder’s lead to four with 22.4 seconds left and essentially icing the game.

“It was a misinterpretation on my part,” Christie said. “I knew the time and score of the game, but I didn’t realize they were in the bonus. … I take responsibility for that. … I’m not going to say that my mistake cost us the entire game, but it was definitely probably the biggest one of the game.”

The Lakers’ 101-93 loss to the Thunder on Friday dropped them to 11-8 and eliminated them from the NBA Cup. Los Angeles has lost three straight home games and four of five games overall, with several coming against teams that project as some of the best in the West (the Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns).

Christie’s foul may have been the loudest error, but it was far from the only one. On the next possession, Austin Reaves, who played through an arm injury he suffered late in the second quarter that required him to briefly leave the game, threw an errant pass to Dalton Knecht that was picked off for a game-sealing dunk by Jalen Williams.

LeBron James, Reaves and Russell combined for 14 of the Lakers’ 17 turnovers, which led to 20 points for the Thunder, who lead the league in points off turnovers. And for a Lakers team that ranks 25th in the NBA in defense, those types of errors are too much to overcome against elite competition.