Lakers News: Russell Westbrook Benched As Los Angeles Slips To Losing Record

If this isn’t rock-bottom, the Los Angeles Lakers are in serious trouble. The team fell below .500 Wednesday night, and Russell Westbrook was benched in the fourth quarter of the team’s 111-104 loss against the Indiana Pacers.

Westbrook scored 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting, missing 12 of his 13 two-point attempts in 27 minutes. Lakers coach Frank Vogel took Westbrook out of the game with just less than four minutes left and the team trailing 101-94.

The decision came amid rumors that Vogel’s job is in jeopardy. The organization told the head coach that he had support to take such a stance with Westbrook, ESPN reports.

Westbrook left the court before time expired and didn’t speak with reporters after the game.

Westbrook’s defensive lapses and inefficient offense have turned last offseason’s trade for the superstar into nothing short of a disaster. The league’s fourth-highest paid player, Westbrook is averaging 18.5 points on 16.1 field-goal attempts per game. Westbrook leads the NBA in turnovers. His 7.8 assists per game are his second-lowest average in the last eight years.

Once again, LeBron James was outstanding in defeat. James shot 50% from the field with 30 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, unable to lift the Lakers past one of the East’s worst teams.

Anthony Davis is still nursing a knee injury, leaving Los Angeles without much depth. Well past their primes, veterans Trevor Ariza and Dwight Howard started and totaled five points in 28 minutes. Undrafted rookie Austin Reaves had two points in 25 minutes off the bench.

With a 22-23 record, the Lakers are currently the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Los Angeles continues to fall further out of the playoff picture, trailing the No. 6 seed Denver Nuggets by three games in the loss column.

The Lakers are only a half-game ahead of the No. 9 seed L.A. Clippers. Earning the No. 9 or No. 10 seed would force Los Angeles to win two play-in tournament games in order to make the playoffs.