Lakers Hit a Low Five at the Break

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Lakers looked tired, beaten, as if they were still traveling through the Eastern time zone, although a quick check of their surroundings proved they were indeed home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And a glance at the scoreboard showed they had lost again, 114-108, Thursday at Staples Center.

Things have officially slipped from uneasy to disturbing for the Lakers, who can now claim their first five-game losing streak since January 2005. And they'll have plenty of time to think about this during the All-Star break: Phil Jackson has never lost six consecutive games in 16 seasons as an NBA coach.

They have three days off for the break, with Kobe Bryant being the main exception, although Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar play tonight in the rookie-sophomore game. Then they all reconvene for practice Monday, with home games next week against Portland and Boston.

The Lakers are 30-24, only two victories ahead of last season's pace through 54 games. Injuries have played their part ? Luke Walton and Kwame Brown again sat out because of sprained ankles ? but the Lakers are 4-11 since winning in San Antonio almost a month ago.

"We're not unhappy with what our record is, but we're not happy with the last three weeks," Jackson said.

The Lakers' defense, a gradually descending part of their character, was again soft and malleable Thursday. LeBron James had his way most of the game, driving at will and muscling through series after series of Lakers. Bryant had 34 points on nine-for-22 shooting, but James had 38 on 10-for-16 shooting.

The Lakers also couldn't take the rebounds that counted, allowing Anderson Varejao to get a handle on James' missed free throw with 18.9 seconds to play. Varejao pushed the ball back to James, who was fouled and made two free throws to give the Cavaliers a 112-108 lead with 11.7 seconds left. Bryant's three-point attempt rimmed out with eight seconds left, and the game was over.

"I think I saw players that had quit in their eyes tonight ? and I thought I saw guys that felt defeated," Jackson said.

The Lakers are entrenched in sixth place in the Western Conference, a handful of games ahead of the struggling Denver Nuggets and almost as many behind the surprisingly resilient Houston Rockets.

<font size=""4"">"We don't want to tank games to get better position like perhaps the Clippers did last year," Jackson quipped.</font>

The All-Star break is not a bad thing for the Lakers.

"This is a good time not to think about basketball," said forward Lamar Odom, who had 20 points and eight rebounds. "It's a good time to take off and let your body rest."</div>

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Hahaha, what a burn by PJax. He's been spitting venom this season.

 

Haha, you're right on. Pjax has been vicious this year, I'm loving it.