Everyone on the Los Angeles Lakers was embarrassed by a humiliating loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night and they vowed to rebound from it in a huge way.
They did just that on Monday night with a very impressive 101-95 win against the Utah Jazz in LA.
The Lakers looked like a completely different team: full of energy, intelligence, and defense too.
In fact, they held the Jazz to 36.9 percent shooting which really says a lot since Utah is leading the league in points per game for the season.
The Lakers came alive but you shouldn’t get too excited yet because, while promising, this was just one game and many things still stand in the way of LA’s success.
Utah Had A Bad Night
The Jazz are typically a great team when it comes to shooting but they just weren’t feeling it on Monday night.
They went 12 for 46 from the three-point line and 31 for 84 when it came to total field goals.
After allowing 133 points to Denver on Saturday, the Lakers allowed 95 points Monday to the Jazz. It’s the Lakers’ fewest points allowed since Dec. 12 (94 to Magic) and the second-fewest points Utah had scored all season. The Jazz entered the day leading the NBA in PPG (115.3). pic.twitter.com/5j7uVZIsgc
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 18, 2022
Combined, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson were 0-10 from the three-point line, which is really unheard of for those two.
In other words, the Jazz were having a rough evening and some of that didn’t have anything to do with the Lakers.
We’ve Seen This Before
This isn’t the first time the Lakers snapped a losing streak in a pretty impressive way.
They lost five in a row in December before putting an end to that with a statement win against the Houston Rockets on December 28.
However, just a few weeks later, they were playing in the same sloppy, lacking way that they were before.
So while the big win against the Jazz is great – and more impressive than the one against the Rockets – it doesn’t mean the season has turned around.
There is a good chance the team will slip up again soon, especially with a tough road trip right around the corner.
And if do hit another rough patch, someone could get fired.
Frank Fired?
It was reported that head coach Frank Vogel’s job is on the line thanks to the uneven season the Lakers have been having.
In fact, his employment is now “in serious jeopardy” and is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis.
Frank Vogel's job with Lakers "is in serious jeopardy" despite last night's win over the Jazz, per @billoram & @sam_amick
He's said to be evaluated on a game-to-game basis pic.twitter.com/DOBruQ5Agf
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2022
That’s dire news for Vogel and might have something to do with how fiercely the team competed on Monday night against the Jazz.
They will need to keep it up if they wish to retain their coach.
If not, he will be sent packing with little notice.
There are plenty of coaching prospects out there and the team will quickly find a replacement for Vogel if they want one.
However, a new coach in the middle of the season is never ideal and could greatly complicate matters because it would mean new rotations and play-styles, which might take time to adjust to.
And time is just one thing the Lakers don’t have.
The Lakers showed a lot of promise in their major victory against the Jazz but problems remain and they are definitely not out of the woods yet.
NEXT: Magic Johnson Calls Out The Entire Lakers Franchise
