"Don't think we're where we wanna be": LeBron James gives scathing indictment on Lakers after loss against Celtics
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost their Christmas Day game against long-time rivals the Boston Celtics,126-115, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. For the four-time NBA champion, he sees this loss as a barometer of how the team can go head-to-head with the top teams in the league.
Through the win, the Celtics improved to a 23-6 record and still hold the top place in the NBA Eastern Conference standings ahead of title contenders Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.
As for the Lakers, the team has regressed to a 16-15 record and has lost five of their last six games.
After winning the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament, the Lakers have been having a hard time keeping things together and LeBron James called out his teammates to compete harder for them to be considered title contenders:
"I don't think we're where we wanna be to be able to compete against the top teams," said James after battling with the Celtics.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 40 points and 13 rebounds on 15-of-26 shooting while LeBron James tallied 16 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and shot 35.7% of his 15 shots.
The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost thrice in a row to the Celtics, a streak that has spanned from the 2022-23 season to the present time.
LeBron James got an injury scare after clashing with Jaylen Brown
At the 4:02 mark of the second quarter, LeBron James' knee collided with Jaylen Brown, and both players were seen grimacing in pain as both fanbases held their breaths for the health of their franchise stars.
As the air from the building was sucked out while seeing both players take time to get up, the game resumed with James and Brown managing to finish the game.
Jaylen Brown also shot miserably after that and tallied 19 points on 41% shooting of his 17 shots.
LeBron James after the game was asked about the condition of his knee, and the four-time NBA MVP just shrugged it off:
"It's still here. My knee is a little sore right now," replied James.
The Boston Celtics eventually won the game with Kristaps Porzingis leading the team with 28 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and two 3-pointers. Jayson Tatum was not far behind with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Los Angeles Lakers will have three days of rest before hosting the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 28, while the Boston Celtics take on the Detroit Pistons on the same day.