"I played a horrible game" - LeBron James takes accountability for LA Lakers' horrendous triple OT loss to Sacramento Kings
LeBron James took accountability for the LA Lakers' 137-141 triple OT defeat to the Sacramento Kings on Friday. James scored 13 points for the side during all three overtime durations but shot three of seven from the field, missing all four attempts from 3-point range during the extended period.
LeBron James did not shy away from admitting that he could have done a better job himself to help the LA Lakers win this tie. Here's what he said in the post-game press conference (via Spectrum SportsNet):
"I felt like I played a horrible game individually. I hold myself to a higher standard than that. I know I got to be better for this team, especially with everything we're going through right now."
The LA Lakers were in a comfortable position to win the tie in the fourth quarter and first OT period. They were up 13 points on the Kings 10:02 minutes left in the game. However, LA then allowed Sacramento to go on a 27-12 run and they ended up tying the game 100-100.
The Lakers made a strong start in OT 1, leading by seven points with just under two minutes left, but blew away that advantage as well and could never recover from there on. This was the fifth time LA Lakers have failed to close out a game in regulation time. They had won all four of their matchups that went into OT before this tie.
“I feel like I played a horrible game individually. I hold myself to a higher standard than that. I know I got to be better for this team, especially with everything we’re going through." @KingJames on his performance in today's game. https://t.co/eHrGpXJ8c6
LeBron James finished the game with a team-high 30 points, but he shot only 10 of 25 from the field, including two of 13 from beyond the arc. James also committed seven turnovers, producing a highly inefficient performance down the stretch.
Can LeBron James and the LA Lakers recover from their dismal start to the season?
The LA Lakers are yet to record a convincing win this season. They are now one game under. 500 at 10-11 and have plenty of issues to resolve moving forward. Their initial struggles have been on defense. Injuries to key players like LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and Trevor Ariza have played a part in that.
Nevertheless, James and Horton-Tucker seem to have returned for good, and the Lakers have improved in certain areas. But they continue to struggle to close out games. Moreover, finding effective schemes on offense has been a problem for the 17-time champs as well. The Lakers just aren't as aggressive as they should be. That has hurt them a lot against underperforming teams.
James Worthy on the postgame show after the Lakers triple OT loss to the Kings. “I just want to go home....that is not team basketball. That is not a winning formula.”
With the amount of experience the LA Lakers squad has, they are expected to improve their performances. However, they will have to do it soon. The rest of the title-contenders in the West, like Golden State and Phoenix, have been impressive thus far. The Lakers, meanwhile, do not seem anywhere near as good as the other elite teams, which is alarming.