NBA 2018-19, Hits and Flops: Atlanta Hawks vs Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers visited the Atlanta Hawks for their last game before the All-Star break. The result was a disappointing 113-117 loss in a match which they were expected to win.

The Lakers are lying in 10th place in the Western Conference playoff standings and have dropped 2.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings who currently hold the 8th and final playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the Hawks continued their good run and are steadily improving their displays. They have a 19-38 record and are the 12th ranked team in the Eastern Conference.

Let's have a look at the best and the worst players from the match:

Flop - Kyle Kuzma:

Kuzma needs to be good for the entire match and not just in spurts

Kyle Kuzma had another one of those nights when he faded away when his team needed him the most. Kuzma finished with 19 points on 8-20 shooting from the field.

The Lakers had a major offensive drought in the fourth quarter and Kuzma failed to impress. He missed open shots and added to his team's misery. He was also a liability on the defensive end for most of the night and the Hawks exploited that completely.

Kuzma needs to become more consistent on both ends because the Lakers will be needing him for their final playoff push.

Hit - John Collins:

John Collins is the leading scorer for the Hawks and again dominated from inside. He has a very polished offensive game and exploited the poor interior defense of the Lakers.

Collins finished with 22 points and 8 rebounds on 8-15 shooting from the field and 2-2 shooting from the 3PT line. Collins is averaging 19.4 points per game and has been one of the rare pleasant surprises for the Hawks this season.

Flop - Lance Stephenson:

Lance didn't dance in this game and struggled throughout

Lance Stephenson has been good on this road trip for the Lakers but he failed to have any impact in this match.

Lance finished the match with 0 points and was a liability on the defensive end of the floor. He missed open shots and failed to provide any sort of veteran leadership to the Lakers second unit.

Lance has been shooting very well from the 3PT line this season, and he needs to step up his game after the All-Star break.

Hit - Trae Young:

Trae Young was the best player on the night from both sides. He was ruthless on the offensive end for the Hawks and kept troubling the Lakers with his shot-making and play-making skills.

Young finished the game with 22 points and 14 assists and also went to the free throw line on 9 occasions. He kept making the right plays and scored some crunch baskets.

Young is having a great rookie season, and is averaging 17 points and 7.5 assists in 57 games this season.

Flop - JaVale McGee:

McGee was out of sorts against the Hawks

JaVale McGee is having one of the best years of his career with the Lakers. He needed to step up his game further with Chandler missing this game, but he ended up playing just 13 minutes in this game.

McGee had 6 points and 4 fouls. He was a non-factor on the defensive end too. The Lakers had to play the small ball line-up for the majority of this game because of the lacklustre performance from their big man.

McGee has been averaging 11.2 points and 2 blocks per game this season.

Hit - LeBron James:

LeBron James didn't have one of his best nights, but he still ended up with a triple-double.

James ended with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists for the game on 8-20 shooting from the field and 9-11 from the FT line. He was running the floor for the Lakers and had 14 assists after only three quarters.

James also tallied 43 minutes in this match and tried his best to get his side home. But this was not supposed to be LeBron's night, who is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

The Lakers will need every bit of experience from their superstar after the All-Star break.

Edited by Sai Krishna