(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
There were many people who predicted the Los Angeles Lakers would lose to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
The 76ers have been very strong this season with a 12-5 record and the Lakers were again short a few players due to injuries.
But few fans and analysts expected the Lakers to be defeated by 44 points, which was the worst loss of LeBron James’ career.
Appearing on “First Take” on Tuesday, Stephen A. Smith summarized why the thrashing was so dreadful for LA.
“When you roll up on the road and it ends up being the worst loss of the illustrious career of LeBron James, you know that’s problematic,” Smith said.
.@stephenasmith reacts to the Lakers’ loss to the 76ers. pic.twitter.com/ZRfas19WLH
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 28, 2023
Losing to the 76ers wouldn’t have been that big of a deal if it was a close beating but falling by nearly 50 points is indeed very troubling.
This isn’t the first time that James has lost in such a big way: he was taken down by 36 points once while playing for the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers beat the Lakers by 42 in 2019.
But the way that the 76ers couldn’t be slowed down by the Lakers is extremely concerning for fans.
Joel Embiid was able to earn a triple-double as early as the third quarter and Tyrese Maxey posted a team-high 31 points.
Even without Embiid, the 76ers still outscored the Lakers, 40-14.
Plus, Philadelphia was super hot from beyond the arc, scoring 22 three-pointers compared to LA’s 7.
To make matters even worse, the Sixers held James to zero rebounds for the first time in years.
This wasn’t just a simple loss, it was an all-out dismantling of the Lakers and they will have to take a good, hard look at how things went so horribly wrong.
They need to avoid another loss like this, not just for the sake of James but for the sake of the team.
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