D’Antoni blows his top

It’s not as if the Lakers are a fantastic ball club this season. Sure they have, two if not four, future Hall of Famers on their team, but talent doesn't always equal wins. With the Lakers in a heated race to be in this year’s playoffs with Utah, Houston, Portland and Dallas, every win and loss counts. It may not be playoff season yet, but the Lakers need to be playing like it is.

Though Friday’s match up against the Wizards should have been an easy win, the Lakers botched an 18-point lead to lose 103-100. The game was supposed to be a turning point for the Lakers’ season (and hopefully post-season) with the full team all being healthy and playing together for only the third time all season. Kobe returned from a mild ankle sprain, Pau Gasol returned from a bout with plantar fasciitis, and the pair of Steves are both all healed up.

What made the Lakers’ loss even more entertaining was the post-game outlash from Mike D’Antoni. The head coach, for lack of euphemism, flipped his shit after the embarrassing loss, saying, "You got so much adrenaline going through that it’s tough to to be livid after a loss like that. It’s disappointing.” Kobe also went on to announce his disappointment after shooting four for 10 in the final quarter, tweeting, “When ur game take a s*i* . Flush it.”

The Lakers had seventeen turnovers that were converted into 21 points by the Wizards. Bryant’s defensive target, Trevor Ariza, scored a team-high 25 points, and hit seven of 12 shots from behind the arc. Dwight Howard, after hearing D’Antoni’s comments, could only muster up, “…The game is over with. There’s no need to look back at it.”

Though the Lakers have a firm grasp on the eighth playoff spot, it isn't a lock. Their playoff hopes could be numbered if they continue to lose must-win games like Friday night’s match-up in Washington.

Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report