Byron Scott on Lakers defense: The 'worst I've seen'

Lakers coach Byron Scott ripped his team’s effort on the defensive end after the Lakers lost 109-102 to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, their seventh loss in eight games this season.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott ripped his team’s effort on the defensive end after the Lakers lost 109-102 to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, their seventh loss in eight games this season, the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina reports.

The Pelicans shot 55 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point land as they built a 23-point lead before the Lakers closed the gap in the fourth quarter.

Pelicans forward Anthony Davis led the way for New Orleans with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots, and Tyreke Evans added 19 points and 11 assists. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 33 points.

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Bryant said the game felt like a “layup drill,” and Scott was just as critical.

“That's been the worst defense I've seen," Scott said.

The Lakers, who allowed 60 points in the paint to the Pelicans, are by far the worst team defensively in the NBA this season, giving up 114.5 points per 100 possessions, 111.5 points a game and allowing opponents to shoot 50 percent from the field.

Scott said he wasn’t sure if the team’s problems on the defensive side can be fixed and will evaluate how the team plays over the next few games. But he was not pleased about what happened on Wednesday.

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“We just did a terrible job defensively,” Scott said. “That was the worst defense we played preseason and all the way up to this particular point. We're not even close to our expectations, or at least mine."

The Lakers take on the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs on Friday and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday before going on a three-game road trip.

- Scooby Axson