Darvin Ham’s Fiery Call-Out of Lakers After Haunting Loss to Rockets Sends Shockwaves

By | Bullscore 16 Mar, 2023

The head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Darvin Ham, was very upset with his players and how they played in the game against the Houston Rockets. The Lakers lost the game having a final score of 114-110, which could end up being a big problem for them later on because they’re currently in tough competition to make it to the playoffs in the Western Conference.

The Lakers played their second game in a row without any sufficient rest, and they were missing one of their best players, Anthony Davis. They had just won a big game against the New Orleans Pelicans, but they didn’t start well in this game against the Houston Rockets. The Rockets took an early lead of 31-19 in the first quarter and they never gave it up.

Darvin Ham laments Lakers’ lack of energy and aggression vs. Rockets https://t.co/9j5zsbRql4
— USA Sport24 (@USASport24) March 16, 2023

“I’ve said it before: Energy, effort, and urgency,” noted Ham. “And I thought coming out of the gates, that kind of was non-existent. … I saw it on (Houston’s) part. We should have been the ones playing with that type of edge. … There is no excuses.”

This game was a typical trap game for the Lakers in March, as they were playing against a team that isn’t expected to do very well this season. The Lakers didn’t seem very motivated to win and were just trying to get through the game and head back home. Their shooting percentages were pretty low, with only 37.8% of their shots made from the field and 25% from the 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Rockets were making most of their shots, with a field goal percentage of 52.8%.

“We don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves, we gotta go back and fill our cups up tomorrow and get ready to take advantage of a five-game homestand,” said Ham.

The Houston Rockets had a significant advantage over the Lakers in rebounding, grabbing 15 more rebounds than the Lakers did. Additionally, Houston scored 20 points on second-chance opportunities compared to the Lakers’ 10.

“That individual pride it takes to keep the ball in front and guys behind you knowing that the paint is the priority. … You can throw all of that out: rotations, coverages. Sometimes it just comes down to individuals performing and guys being locked in, once again, and understanding the circumstances and being ready to play.”