Live discussion: What’s wrong with the Lakers?

Join our live Google+ Hangout today at 11:30 a.m. when Times Lakers blogger Eric Pincus and Clippers reporter Brad Turner discuss their respective teams.

For the Lakers, the tactic opposing teams are using of intentionally fouling Dwight Howard is drawing a lot of attention. As Ben Bolch wrote on Tuesday,

“The Rockets may not have beaten the Lakers because they intentionally fouled one of the worst free-throw shooters in the NBA, but they certainly left them feeling beaten down.

“Howard was forced to answer the same questions he had two nights earlier, when the Orlando Magic employed the same tactic in another Lakers loss.

“Was he expecting to be fouled? How frustrating was it? What’s his take on that strategy?

“Everybody’s trying to win,” said a subdued Howard, who made five of 10 free throws in the final minutes and eight of 16 overall.

“Howard certainly wasn’t responsible for the Lakers’ giving up 34 points in the fourth quarter or yielding 21 offensive rebounds or committing 18 turnovers.

“But had he simply made three or four free throws in a row as soon as the Rockets started deliberately nudging and poking him, all this silliness would have stopped.

“If they’re going to intentionally foul Dwight,” Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said, “we have to figure out how to try to use that to our advantage in some way.”

If you have a question for Pincus or Turner, send it in an email to sportshangout@latimes.com and we will try to answer it during the show.