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Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers have their hands full. After losing 111-132 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, the Lakers have now lost four games in a row and are eight games below 0.500. They are only two games ahead of the 11th-placed Portland Trail Blazers, so their chances of making it to the play-in tournament appear ominous.
Thursday's loss was the LA Lakers' second defeat to their local rivals in a week. They suffered a 105-102 loss to the LA Clippers on February 25.
After losing to the Clippers on Thursday, Westbrook was asked about how he has been handling the backlash caused by the Lakers' recent results.
The 33-year-old superstar, who tallied 17 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-16 shooting against the LA Clippers, gave a terse, one-line reply. He said:
"I've been hearing critics since I was born. Nothing new."
"Got no stops" - Russell Westbrook on the Los Angeles Clippers' 23-0 third-quarter run
The LA Lakers managed to keep it competitive in the first half of the contest against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. They trailed their opponents by just three points (63-66) after the first two periods. However, a poor showing in the third quarter saw the Lakers crumble dramatically.
The Clippers went on a 23-0 run from the 11-minute mark to the five-minute mark in the third period. This saw their lead burgeon to an unassailable 27-point (65-92) advantage. The purple-and-gold franchise could not recover from that blitz and were swept by their rivals in the four-game season series.
When asked about the reason for the LA Clippers' run, Russell Westbrook again gave a matter-of-fact explanation. He said:
“Got no stops, it’s as simple as that. No shots, no stops."
It will only get harder for Westbrook and the Lakers from hereon. They still have more games left to play on the road (13) than at home in the Crypto.com Arena (seven).
Of their remaining 20 games, Frank Vogel's men have to play the Golden State Warriors, their next opponents this Saturday, twice. They also have to take on the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets twice each, while they will face the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks once each.
The Lakers are also scheduled to play one game each against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
When asked about the LA Lakers' chances in light of their grueling upcoming schedule, Russell Westbrook backed himself and said he is "not a quitter." He added:
"I'm gonna fight to the end."
