On the eve of their biggest game this season to date, the Lakers didn’t manufacture a playoff atmosphere with a practice detailing their opponent’s tendencies. They didn’t gather for some rah-rah speech about the “win or go home” game.
Monday at the Lakers’ practice facility was mostly just a practice — something the Lakers haven’t gathered to formally do in more than a month.
The timing of that practice, before the Lakers host Phoenix on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the NBA’s in-season tournament, was a bonus instead of some preparation for high-pressure, win-at-all-costs basketball.