Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher is no stranger to clutch moments and with the way he masterfully sunk the Los Angeles Clippers with a high-arcing banker on the buzzer, it further established good reputation.
However, the Lakers aren't making a good reputation for themselves in the last couple of games, if you ask me. Yes, they were able to shake off that four-game losing streak and bounced back by stomping the mediocre Sacramento Kings, but the Lakers reverted to uninspiring (save for the buzzer beater) play against the Washington Wizards and Clippers.
Sounding a terrible sports cliche: Had the Lakers played better against the Clippers, then the buzzer beater wouldn't have been necessary.
Here's the problem I see: the Lakers are letting spitfire guards abuse them on the defensive end again. Against the Wizards, the Lakers allowed the backcourt combo or John Wall, Gilbert Arenas, and Nick Young a whopping 75 points. Eric Gordon of the Clippers nearly matched Kobe Bryant stat for stat in their game. Where's the backcourt
defense guys?
In the next six games, all on the road, the Lakers will be facing smallish Eastern Conference teams that rely on good guard play to win. Is the near loss a terrible omen for the Lakers in their Eastern Conference swing?
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