Frank Vogel responds to report that he'll be fired as Los Angeles Lakers coach
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets, 146-141, in overtime in a meaningless season finale Sunday night.
The postgame topic du jour, however, centered around Frank Vogel, who responded to an ESPN report that he would be relieved of his duties as Lakers coach, possibly as soon as Monday.
"I haven't been told (expletive)," Vogel said. "I'm going to enjoy tonight's game and celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W."
The Lakers finished this season with a 33-49 record.
MORE: After missing playoffs again, has Lakers' investment in LeBron James and Anthony Davis been a bust?
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The Lakers were eliminated from the play-in tournament Tuesday, a disappointing conclusion two seasons after winning the NBA championship in the Orlando bubble.
This was an injury-plagued season for an aging Lakers team. LeBron James and Anthony Davis each missed significant playing time. Russell Westbrook struggled to acclimate to a new team. As a result, James, Davis and Westbrook played just 21 games together.
In Sunday's season finale, the Lakers sat James (ankle), Davis (right foot), Westbrook (right shoulder), Carmelo Anthony (non-COVID illness) and Dwight Howard. Vogel said James did not make the trip because he was scheduled to have an MRI on his right ankle.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frank Vogel responds to report that Lakers will fire him
