Lakers blow 23-point lead to Pelicans, give new meaning to embarrassing

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 27: Trey Murphy III #25 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts after being fouled during the third quarter of an NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Smoothie King Center on March 27, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans Pelicans won the game 116 – 108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Can someone find Shannon Sharpe? Can anyone tell him that LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers blew a 23-point lead? Can someone please do that?

Last Friday, the Fox Sports 1 co-host of Undisputed boasted about how Los Angeles would “beat the brakes off the Pelicans” and directed most of his taunts towards moderator Jen Hale, who covers the New Orleans Pelicans.

Fellow co-host Skip Bayless made a bet for Diet Mountain Dew, and Sharpe happily accepted. Two cases for Sunday’s outcome and an additional bet for two more cases over how through the season’s final nine games, including Sunday against New Orleans, LA would go 7-2.

Safe to say, Monday’s Undisputed episode will be filled with Sharpe getting his comeuppance and eating crow. Hale enjoying a fresh smoothie from the Smoothie King Arena in her victory, and Bayless is sipping another bottle of Diet Mountain Dew. One loss down and two more losses will give Bayless another two cases.

Lakers blow 23-point lead to Pelicans, give new meaning to embarrassing

This could have been avoided had the Lakers held up their end of the bargain on Sunday. A 20-point lead at the half and a 23-point lead at one point all going to waste in a 116-108 Pelicans victory.

LeBron James had a 39-point game. But so what? If people are going to pile on/criticize Tom Brady and say that his 505 yards passing in a Super Bowl LII loss to the Eagles was empty calories, the same energy must be directed towards James and the Lakers when he has a strong game in terms of statistics, and the results are the opposite.

Malik Monk finished with 23 points off the bench while Russell Westbrook had 18. Westbrook, or as some will call him, “Westbrick,” was 2-5 from beyond the arc, had three turnovers, and finished with a +/- of -18. Lebron? A -9. Austin Reaves? The same player who hit a famous three against Dallas earlier in the year to pull out a clutch victory? ZERO points and a +/- of -16.

Brandon Ingram had 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists to lead the team. Jonas Valanciunas scored 19 points and CJ McCollum finished with 18. Rookie Trey Murphy III finished with 21 points off the bench, including a crisp 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles (31-43) has fallen to 10th in the Western Conference, while New Orleans (32-43) improved to ninth. Both are still in the play-in tournament, but the Pelicans have an advantage.

Thanks to this collapse, Shannon Sharpe is forced to be humble and learn not to count his chickens before they hatch. On the flip side, not only have the Lakers continued to dig a deeper hole, but the Pelicans now hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Lakers, having won twice during  the three-game season series.

Only one game remains between these two teams, and that is on April Fool’s Day at the Crpyto.com Arena (Staples Center). It’s likely that, despite the name of the day, the result may be the same if the Pelicans continue to prove that they are not afraid. But again, this is more about the Lakers.

A 69-49 lead at the half, and you can’t close the deal? Giving up 41 points in the third quarter and only scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter as a team? This isn’t the New York Knicks, who blow leads consistently and have Stephen A. Smith going on memorable rants that become the YouTube video of the week. This is Los Angeles, and, in case people forgot, pundits picked this team to represent the Western Conference in the Finals this year.

That’s not happening. It was premature; it was more personal than objective, and frankly, after what has taken place this year, it’s just a walking abomination of analysis. To quote Smith, it’s a disgrace.

It doesn’t get easier for this team. The rest of the season is filled with opponents itching to take it to L.A., who is12 games under .500 for a team that was supposed to be feared on paper. Right now, the only fear that exists is the fear of possibly missing both the playoffs and the play-in tournament if things continue to go south.

L.A. Times sportswriter Dan Woike said it best. The Lousiana Superdome will host the Final Four this year, and with it comes the tagline, “The Road Ends Here.” That message is now directed at the Purple and Gold, who arrived in town, and before they could enjoy the Gumbo, choked the lead and possibly their playoff credentials away.

How low can you go? And no, we aren’t playing Limbo here. We are questioning the 17-time NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. Ouch.