"Poor baby having a whittle tantrum": NBA fans roast LeBron James after Lakers star fumes at Lakers coaches over a challenge
LeBron James displayed frustration during Game 3 between the LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday after an out-of-bounds call in the fourth quarter.
With the Lakers leading 95-80 and just over nine minutes remaining, James attempted to swipe the ball from his former teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. James did not touch the ball, but the referees awarded possession to the Nuggets.
James believed the Lakers should challenge the call, but the coaching staff opted not to, leading to James stomping his feet and jumping up and down in visible anger.
The Nuggets capitalized on the confusion, with Jamal Murray scoring an easy two points.
Fans poked fun at James for his outburst of frustration.
“Poor baby having a whittle tantrum,” X (formerly Twitter) user @Emmmyalluu said.
Some fans joked that James' anger might result in Lakers coach Darvin Ham being fired after the season.
"Oh yeah Darvin Ham is gone," said @dyoxfn.
Near the conclusion of the game, Ham used a challenge to dispute an out-of-bounds call, which he successfully got overturned, leading to more fan reactions.
LeBron James scores 30 to end LA's 11-game losing streak to Denver
LeBron James led the Lakers to a 119-108 victory in Game 3 with a team-high 30 points, shooting 14-for-23 from the field.
Playing nearly 39 minutes, James also contributed five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
His 30-point night helped the Lakers force a Game 5, avoiding a sweep and halting the Nuggets' 11-game winning streak against the Lakers.
Anthony Davis finished with a monster double-double of 25 points and 23 rebounds. He also had six assists and a block in 41 minutes of play.
D'Angelo Russell, who went scoreless in Game 3, had a bounce-back performance and finished with 21 points and four assists. He drilled four triples.
Austin Reaves also fueled the Lakers' victory with 21 points and six assists.
The Lakers dictated the tempo throughout the game and did not let the Nuggets overcome another double-digit lead. They weathered a 33-point Nikola Jokic triple-double (14 rebounds and 14 assists) and a 27-point and 11-rebound outing from Michael Porter Jr.
Jamal Murray and Caldwell-Pope combined for 36 points.
The series will return to Denver for Game 5. No team in NBA history has ever won a series after going down 0-3.