"I'd trust Reggie Jackson in the clutch more than LeBron James" - Skip Bayless critical of 'King' James' clutch ability during LA Lakers' 102-105 loss against the Clippers
Skip Bayless took yet another swipe at LeBron James for failing to take over for the LA Lakers in the clutch, saying he'd rather pick Reggie Jackson over the four-time MVP. The Lakers and Clippers were involved in a close encounter on Friday. Ty Lue's side emerged victorious by three points in that contest.
The Lakers missed their last six shots of the game and were down by just one with 18 seconds left on the game clock. LeBron James had the ball on top of the key and was double-teamed by the Clippers, which forced him to pass the ball to Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony took the final shot for LA from deep and missed it altogether, which paved the way for the Clippers to win their third game in a row against the Lakers this season. Bayless criticized James for not being effective in the clutch, tweeting:
"I'd trust Reggie Jackson in the clutch more than LeBron James."
I'd trust Reggie Jackson in the clutch more than LeBron James.
LeBron James and LA Lakers looking likelier to end up in a play-in tournament for the second season in a row
The LA Lakers have now dropped to 27-32 for the campaign and desperately need to string a lengthy winning streak to have a realistic shot at making the playoffs as a top-six side. At the moment, with Anthony Davis sidelined for at least a month, the Lakers look likely to end up in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row.
They have a slim chance of overturning their fate and will need their two other stars, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, to play at their MVP-caliber potential. Both were mediocre in the Lakers' first game back after the All-Star break against the LA Clippers.
James recorded only 21 points on six of 18 shooting, while Westbrook scored 18 points on nine of 21 shooting. James has been more consistent of late, so he is expected to be better in the next game. Westbrook, on the other hand, has continued to struggle to live up to his expectations.
If James and Westbrook manage to find their chemistry soon, it could give the LA Lakers a significant advantage over this final quarter of the regular-season stretch. The rest of the crew featuring Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony and Austin Reaves will also have to try and play their roles to perfection more consistently to help LA pose a threat towards the business end of the season.