UCLA has little to celebrate (except Kareem) during 96-85 loss to Arizona
The defensive deficiencies hidden for much of the season by UCLA’s outer-space offense were fully unmasked Saturday, like an unsightly scar.
They were hideous. They were everywhere. They looked like they might be permanent.
The constant breakdowns turned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Day into a tribute to the Arizona offense, which continually scorched the third-ranked Bruins during the No. 14 Wildcats’ 96-85 victory at Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA’s loudest home crowd of the season was largely muted in the final minutes with the exception of a sustained “U of A!” chant emanating from pockets of Arizona fans. The Wildcats scored 48 points in each half while outmaneuvering and outmuscling the Bruins, forward Lauri Markkanen plowing his way into the post for a putback dunk with 43 seconds left that deflated what was left of a quickly thinning crowd.
“It’s a wake-up call, man,” Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball said after his career-high 24 points went to waste during his team’s first home defeat of the season. “The places we want to go, we’re going to have to play defense and that’s a perfect example right there.”
UCLA (19-2 overall, 6-2 Pac-12 Conference) discovered what can happen when it runs into a defensive-minded team that can also push the pace. Things might not go so well, particularly if the Bruins aren’t defending themselves.
Where to start with UCLA’s defensive issues? Got a half hour?
Bruins Coach Steve Alford pointed to his guards failing to maintain their stance while keeping the ball in front of them. There was also a problem with help defense, communication and the guards and big men behind them not working in tandem.
“There’s not as much trust, there’s not as much unselfishness on the defensive end to help one another as what happens on the offensive end,” Alford said.
UCLA did rally from a season-high 14-point deficit, largely thanks to a 3-2 zone defense that forced stops for several minutes. The Bruins were within two points with the ball midway through the second half when reserve forward Gyorgy Goloman, who had missed his only two three-point attempt this season, pulled up for a third. It also missed.
Arizona’s Rawle Alkins then made a three-pointer and the Wildcats (18-2, 7-0) eventually stretched their lead back to double digits. Arizona guard Kobi Simmons finished with 20 points and Markkanen had 18 points and seven rebounds while outplaying Bruins counterpart TJ Leaf, who had 12 points and three rebounds.
Wildcats guard Allonzo Trier shrugged off fans’ repeated “Ster-oids!” chants to finish with 12 points in his season debut after sitting out the first 19 games because of a suspension related to the use of a performance-enhancing substance.
UCLA guard Bryce Alford scored 15 points but made only five of 12 shots and teammate Isaac Hamilton was even colder two days after scoring a season-high 33 points against Arizona State, finishing with 14 points on five-for-15 shooting.
Bryce Alford said he wasn’t sure if the Bruins could have won even had they put the ball in the basket with more regularity.
“Giving up 96 points,” Alford said, “that’s hard to come away with a win doing that.”
Even adjusted for its frantic pace, UCLA’s defensive efficiency has sunk to No. 126 in the country according to the computations of Ken Pomeroy, directly behind Towson and James Madison.
Steve Alford said in December he wanted that figure to be in the 50s. His aspirations had changed by late Saturday afternoon.
“We’ve got to get our defensive efficiency in the mid- or at least upper 90s,” he said.
Alford said his team had already largely shifted its priority to defense in practice and noted the gains the Bruins had made since allowing Oregon to score 87 points last month. They seemed to give them all back against the Wildcats.
The Bruins’ defense was a downer on a day that was intended to be a celebration of Abdul-Jabbar, the legendary center who won three national championships at the school, went on to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.
Abdul-Jabbar addressed the crowd at halftime and thanked UCLA for what it had meant to him academically, particularly as he advocated for youth initiatives and literacy after his playing career ended with the Lakers.
When he finished his remarks, Abdul-Jabbar returned to his seat along the baseline to watch the second half. The view didn’t get any better.
UP NEXT
Wednesday at USC, 8 p.m., Galen Center, FS1—The Trojans swept the Bruins last season, including 95-71 in the Pac-12 tournament, winning three games in the season series for the first time since 1942.
Twitter: @latbbolch
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