Lakers' Marcus Smart sounds the 'desperate' alarm with Game 6 vs. Rockets looming
· Yahoo Sports
Lakers' Marcus Smart sounds the 'desperate' alarm with Game 6 vs. Rockets looming originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to advance as far as possible in the NBA Playoffs without Luka Dončić, even after Austin Reaves returned in Game 5. However, everything now comes down to closing out the Houston Rockets. LeBron James is exactly where he wants to be—on a contending team.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
The Rockets took Game 4, and tensions boiled over afterward. Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart were both fined for their actions.
“Lakers’ Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for questioning the integrity of game officials and Luke Kennard $25,000 for directing inappropriate language toward game officials,” NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.
The Lakers had a chance to put the series away in Game 5 but were unable to capitalize. Smart took much of the blame due to his struggles with ball security. He understands the importance of the next game and is calling for a desperate mindset from the team.
“Marcus Smart took ownership of the turnover differential tonight (15-11), noting that his ratio needs to be better (6 turnovers, 2 assists). Overall, he noted that LA need to “be the desperate team” heading into Game 6,” Lakers reporter Mike Trudell posted.
The Lakers were sharper late in games during the first three contests of the series, but the last two have featured stretches of careless play, particularly with turnovers. If the series returns to Los Angeles for a Game 7, anything can happen.
Smart knows the Lakers must play cleaner basketball while maintaining an aggressive edge to secure the win. Even with the series lead, Friday’s Game 6 feels like a must-win for Los Angeles.
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