"Felt kind of like a rookie again"- LA Lakers' LeBron James on his return to action after an 8-game absence
After an eight-game absence due to an abdominal injury, LA Lakers superstar LeBron James returned to action on Friday night against the Boston Celtics.
When asked about his physical condition during the post-game press conference, the 36-year-old stated that he felt like a rookie again. Here's what he said (via Spectrum SportsNet):
"Felt okay. Obviously being out two-and-a-half weeks, I just felt kind of like a rookie again after being away from the game. But I am excited, physically I felt okay and good enough to know that I can trust my body, get out and play tonight. So I am more looking forward to see how I feel tomorrow when I wake up."
LeBron James looked lethal from the get-go as he threw down a dunk to score his first points of the game. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds and two steals on the night.
However, the LA Lakers dropped their third straight game, falling to an 8-9 record for the season as the Boston Celtics handed them a 108-130 thumping.
“Obviously being out two-and-a-half weeks, I just felt kind of like a rookie again after being away from the game.” @KingJames on how he felt in his return and the sense of urgency for the team. https://t.co/Vk5566Emzc
LA Lakers' struggles continue despite LeBron James' return
There was optimism that LeBron James' return would help the LA Lakers return to winning ways. It did look that way during the first quarter of the game when the Purple and Gold led the Boston Celtics by a 32-18 margin.
However, the Lakers' defense was once again exposed as the Celtics outscored them 70-100 in the last three quarters. Jayson Tatum dominated Frank Vogel's side, scoring 37 points and grabbing 11 rebounds on the night. Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder torched his former teammates as he recorded 21 points, six assists and six rebounds.
Apart from LeBron James, Anthony Davis was the only LA Lakers player to put up an efficient performance against the Boston Celtics. AD scored 31 points and made three blocks.
Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook's woeful start to life as a Lakers player continued as the point guard contributed just 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the floor.
The LA Lakers bench has also been inconsistent in the last few games, and the trend continued on Friday. Carmelo Anthony had 13 points, while Malik Monk accounted for nine points. The two players were in much better form before and will need to improve their production to help the team achieve the desired results.
Nevertheless, it was LeBron James' first game back from injury. If he continues to stay healthy, the LA Lakers might soon find a way out of their current slump.
The Lakers will face the rebuilding Detroit Pistons in their next game on Sunday. It will serve as the perfect matchup for the Lakeshow to rediscover their groove, considering the Pistons do not present that much of a threat.
WHAT A FINISH LEBRON
https://t.co/2N8R5VyvRa
The LA Lakers need to work on their defense if they are to have a good chance of producing winning performances consistently.