Lakers Can’t Live Up to the Past

LA TIMES: The Laker class of 1984-85 gathered Monday at Staples Center, as coaches and players and others responsible for Laker championship No. 2 that decade provided momentary respite from a season that has been mostly forgettable.

Then the present-tense Lakers played like their predecessors most of the night before falling to one of the league’s top teams, the Phoenix Suns, 108-97, in front of 18,997.

The Suns, who have the NBA’s best record and are averaging more than 110 points, set a Laker opponent record by making 19 three-pointers, topping the 17 they made last Tuesday in a 26-point win over the Lakers.

“They just three-point us to death, it seems like, when we play this team,” Coach Frank Hamblen said. “Nineteen for 37 from the three-point line. It’s a weapon, no question about it.”

Enough ammunition to finish the Lakers, who lost for the 15th time in 17 games and fell 24 1/2 games behind the Suns in the Pacific Division. There are four games left in the Laker season.

“I thought our effort was real good,” Hamblen said. “It’s about finishing a team off. We need to grow to win the last five minutes of games, the last three minutes of games, the last two minutes. That’s what the good teams, the playoff teams, do.”

The Lakers lose yet again and this time in front of the greats who came before them. How do you feel as a Laker fan watching this team free fall from grace? Sound off in the CL.com Forums!