Dark clouds continue to circle the LA Lakers as they suffered yet another slap in the face. The latest came in a 124-104 loss Wednesday night, delivered by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Los Angeles (29-40), clinging to a play-in tournament spot, is 8-21 since Jan. 7 and 2-9 since the All-Star break. The Timberwolves (41-30), on the other hand, have been rolling, losing only one in their last 10 outings. They are seventh in the Western Conference, while the Lakers are ninth.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote about the excitement that comes with defeating the Lakers. He highlighted several reasons why defeating the Lakers can be gratifying. Besides the club's memorable history, Buha stated the presence of the most famous athlete in America, LeBron James, as another good reason.
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"The Lakers have a golden history, the glitz and glamor of the Showtime branding," Buha wrote. "They also have LeBron James, the most famous athlete in America. There are plenty of reasons to enjoy beating them."
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He also pegged Russell Westbrook as another possible reason opponents are gloating. That's because of Westbrook's previous bullying of most teams in the league.
"But a big part of it is also Westbrook, who previously punked and bullied much of the league — including a random beef with the Timberwolves — and is now being treated in the same manner as he endures the worst season," Buha wrote.
LA Lakers continue to be ridiculed as their struggle continues without an end date in sight
![Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball while LeBron James of the LA Lakers defends in the second quarter at Target Center on Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota.](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/e5283-16475434748686-1920.jpg 1920w)
It's unusual to see the "almighty" LA Lakers struggle immensely with little hope of change. LeBron James has recently shown his frustration on how poorly the team is playing.
Small-market teams have been going hard at the Lakers and claiming victories. It is becoming the usual pattern, and the Minnesota Timberwolves were the most recent to ridicule the Lakers while they decimated them Wednesday night's.
Russell Westbrook's inability to make shots even while unmarked has become worrisome.
Receiving a pass from LBJ, Westbrook attempted to shoot a 3-pointer from the left corner. He made an airball, while Karl-Anthony Towns was in the right corner to receive the ball. After Towns handed the ball to Patrick Beverley, he didn't fail to take a dig at Wesbrook's shooting. He gestured in disbelief to the crowd for a few seconds as he stood rooted to the floor.
Beverley also shared in on the ridicule, throwing the ball in the air, taking cover and mocking Westbrook. The Timberwolves continued to taunt the Lakers, calling them trash and laughing at their expense.
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