The Lakers erased a 25-point first-half deficit to defeat the Trail Blazers 121-112 in Portland. It was the second-biggest deficit erased by the Purple and Gold ever.
After the game Lakers head coach Darvin Ham talked about how his team was able to turn the game around in the second half.
“It’s as simple as us having a conversation, not watching any film of what happened in the first half,” Ham said. “Just talking about how we start the games up 18-4 in those first four-five minutes and just basically falling apart on both sides of the ball.
“We just challenged the team. It’s 24 minutes left. 25 points it’s a huge deficit, but in the NBA three-balls playing the right way you can cut into it pretty quickly and give yourself a chance.
“We’re just basically talking about what we’ve gone through all year. Playing great basketball for segments of games having tough four-five-six minute stretches here and there and once we see what we need to do to be successful, not just against Portland, they’re hell of a team, two, three hell of players, four really just for any team it’s about us and how we want to present the best version of ourselves.
“And we just talked about that, like, how long are we going to keep watching the same move of us playing great basketball and then having these rough stretches and then not being able to maintain and sustain what we’re doing.
“Like I said, those three words – competitiveness, togetherness and last but not least most importantly accountability. And we all held ourselves accountable for what transpired in the first half. Came out with a focus, with a focus, with a togetherness, with a competitiveness that resulted in us coming out with a W.”
