Darvin Ham rips Lakers after uninspired second-half collapse: 'It's over for excuses'

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The Lakers are in the midst of what has largely been a season filled with inconsistency. Los Angeles fell to 21-22 on Friday night after collapsing in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets.

At one point in the game, the Lakers held a six-point lead, only to let the game slip away after they left the locker room for the final two quarters of the contest. The Lakers were outscored by 24 points in the second half and allowed only 44 points after halftime. That matched the fewest points they have allowed in the second half this season.

The poor second half showing sparked some blunt criticism from second-year Lakers coach Darvin Ham. 

"Talk about the tale of two different halves," Ham said. "That first half is what we're working towards. . . . And then the inconsistency showed up and reared its head in the second half. . . .  We have to decide which team we're gonna be."

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Head coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers watches his team warm up before the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena on January 19, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Ham then suggested that the time to use excuses had expired.

"It's over for the excuses," Ham continued. "We got to play basketball."

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Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn told his team at halftime he wanted them to be more physical. 

The Nets went on a 23-8 run over a six-minute span in the third quarter to grab an 87-78 advantage. Brooklyn took the lead with a 12-4 run, including a three-pointer by Bridges to give them their