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The LA Lakers lost their fourth straight game on Thursday, falling 118-111 on the road to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The loss dropped them to 1-5 since their NBA In-Season Tournament championship on Dec. 9., leading fans to question the NBA Cup’s validity.
LA played on the second night of a back-to-back against the Western Conference’s top team on Thursday. Meanwhile, Lakers superstar forward LeBron James was sidelined due to left ankle tendinitis. However, the circumstances of the loss didn’t ease fans’ frustrations.
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Following the game, fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call out the team for its weak performance since the In-Season Tournament.
“[The] team’s cooked,” one fan said.
“Sold their soul for a participation tournament,” another said.
Some even suggested that the tournament was rigged, given how LA has fared since its conclusion.
“That’s how you know the tournament was scripted,” one fan said.
Here are a few more of the top fan reactions to LA’s four-game losing streak:
Also Read: Darvin Ham sheds light on LeBron James' ankle woes: “21 years of frequent flyer miles”
Darvin Ham not concerned about Lakers’ slump
While fans’ concerns surrounding LA’s slump continue to escalate, Lakers coach Darvin Ham isn’t too worried.
After Thursday’s loss to Minnesota, Ham spoke about how his team will be fine after it gets back to full strength and builds continuity.
“We’ll break through this thing, once we get guys back healthy, get guys back in rhythm,” Ham said. “We’ll be OK.”
Ham added that despite the loss, he was impressed with the play of Lakers star big man Anthony Davis. The eight-time All-Star finished with a game-high 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 55.0% shooting while playing through an ankle injury.
“It was a battle from start to finish and he showed why he is who he is, even in a loss,” Ham said. “He’s a pleasure to coach, man.”
The Wolves were led by a team-high 27 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals on 47.4% shooting from star shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Their win continued their reign over the Western Conference, as after 27 games, they remain first in the West by a considerable margin.
Meanwhile, the Lakers’ fourth straight loss dropped them to 10th in the conference.
LA’s (15-14) next chance to end its losing streak comes on Saturday on the road against the OKC Thunder (18-8).
On the other hand, Minnesota (20-6), will look to keep up its hot start on Saturday on the road against the Sacramento Kings (16-10).
Also Read: "No excuse for that": D'Angelo Russell vows improvement with 'I’ve just gotta be better' mentality
