Celtics Title Town

The losses continue to grow for the Lakers. Could this be one of the biggest disappointments in NBA history? We still have more than half of the NBA season to go. So anything can happen, but things continue to get worse for the Lakers.

ESPN LA Rapid Reaction

How it happened: The Lakers fell down by eight in the first quarter and chipped away. Then it was 11 in the second and they chipped away again. Then all the way up to 17 in the third, but they still kept at it. The Spurs had it back to a 16-point lead with 7:07 to go in the fourth before the Lakers staged a furious rally, getting it down to three with 2:56 remaining. After a series of missed opportunities, the Lakers trailed by three and had the ball with 10.4 seconds left with a chance to tie it. Kobe Bryant missed long, Earl Clark grabbed the rebound and missed short and the Lakers lost yet again.

What it means: If the Lakers consistently play as hard as they did in the fourth quarter for 48 minutes when they get Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill back, they will actually have a shot at making the postseason. Then again, a loss is a loss and the Lakers' hole only got deeper on Wednesday. There's no time left in the season for moral victories.