"I want to get some wine and get to bed" - LeBron James cuts a tired figure after LA Lakers fall to a 26-30 record in the Western Conference
LeBron James and the LA Lakers faced another embarrassing loss on Wednesday night. Losing 105-107 to the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, the Lakers looked rattled and in a state of complete disarray as the team came up short against a star-less Portland side.
After a 46 minute no-show at the postgame press conference by the Lakers after the game ended, the media finally received some insight from the players. LeBron James seemed particularly drained after the loss. When asked about his thoughts regarding the trade deadline, gave a somewhat despondent response.
"I'm tired as hell right now. I want to get some wine and get to bed."
LeBron James: "I'm tired as hell right now. I want to get some wine and get to bed."
LeBron James recorded 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the night. Capping it off with a buzzer-beater three to cut the five-point deficit to two, the LA Lakers ended the game with a 105-107 loss.
While James bagged 30 points, a large part of the loss could be attributed to his performance. He recorded his sixth turnover of the night at a crucial point when the Lakers could have evened the score. Portland turned the opportunity into a three-point shot by Anfernee Simons, leading to a drastic shift in momentum.
LeBron James says he takes "full responsibility" for costly turnovers in tonight's game.
With Russell Westbrook out of the rotation tonight due to lower back tightness, the suspicious timing following his comments after yesterday's game is certainly open to interpretation.
But as things stand, the LA Lakers are careening out of control as they find themselves four games under .500 and in ninth spot in the West, holding a 26-30 record on the season.
Can LeBron James save the LA Lakers' season?
Wednesday night's loss to Portland has to be one of the worst losses for the LA Lakers this season. While the Lakers featured their superstar duo and the majority of their supporting cast, the Trail Blazers featured a lineup in the middle of a roster overhaul.
With Jusuf Nurkic being the only Blazers starter who has been present since the beginning of the season, the LA Lakers practically played against a team of third-stringers.
But the championship-aspirant Lakers still had their hands full. With Anthony Davis being manhandled by Nurkic and the Lakers' chemistry all out of sorts, the Trail Blazers took the challenge to the Purple and Gold and came out on top.
The Blazers used nine players tonight who are making $29 million this season combined. There are 34 players in the league making more than that this season.
They beat the Lakers anyway.
LA were miserable on the floor, registering 21 turnovers in the game, which gave Portland every opportunity necessary to walk away with the win. Although they shot relatively well from the field, the Lakers just seemed out of it, and the lack of energy and desire was evident in their performance.
LeBron James cannot be held solely responsible for guiding the Lakers to a winning season. However, as a struggling team's best player, wins and losses on any given night largely depend on how well he plays.
With the trade deadline on the horizon, the Lakers will have to make several moves if they are to salvage this season. With considerations for improving their roster in mind, it will be interesting to see what the Lakers front office can do to help their aging superstar.
Frank Vogel, asked directly by @billoram if there's a scenario in which Russell Westbrook isn't on the team after tomorrow: "If there's way to improve our team, we'll improve our team. I've got nothing else to say about the trade deadline."