"That's been like our Achilles heel" - LeBron James reflects on what 'killed' the LA Lakers vs Memphis, with the team clocking 22 turnovers in the game
LeBron James believes the LA Lakers' turnovers against the Memphis Grizzlies are the main reason behind their loss on Thursday. The Purple and Gold turned the ball over 22 times, which led to the Grizzlies scoring 27 points.
Russell Westbrook conceded six of the LA Lakers' turnovers, while James had five on the night. The turnovers proved to be very beneficial for the young Memphis Grizzlies team, as they exploited those chances and secured their 15th win of the season.
Speaking about the Lakers' 22 turnovers in the post-game press conference, LeBron James said:
"Well, tonight turnovers killed us, we were doing a hell of a job over the last 7 games, averaging only 12.5 turnovers and tonight we had 22 for 27 points. You know, and that's been our achilees heel before the last 7 games and tonight it bit us in the back."
LeBron James (20 PTS, 11 AST, 10 REB) reflects on tonight's loss vs. the Grizzlies with @LakersReporter. https://t.co/Y0oLaBjbEF
The defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies was the LA Lakers' 13th loss of the 2021-22 campaign. The Lakers are yet to win four games in a row, which is a reflection of the team's inconsistent performances this season.
Turnovers have been a big problem for the Lakers since the start of the campaign. Russell Westbrook ranks third among players in turnovers committed this season. The team also ranks third as they commit 15.8 turnovers per game on average.
When asked in the post-game press conference how he felt about the turnovers his team committed against the Memphis Grizzlies, LA Lakers head coach Frank Vogel replied:
"You just have to play the game with a little of ball security to win a basketball game, if you are going to turnover 22 times, you gonna have a great chance of losing that game. So... we gonna continue to have disappointing losses if we turnover the ball like that."
"We're going to continue to have disappointing losses as long as we turn the ball over like that." Frank Vogel on the #LakeShow's 22 turnovers vs. Memphis. @LakersReporter https://t.co/R0qnYH5Wdz
LeBron James triple-double in vain as LA Lakers suffer defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies
The LA Lakers came into Thursday's game high on confidence after their win over the Boston Celtics. However, the Lakers were in for a tough test against a Grizzlies team that was 5-1 without star player Ja Morant.
The Purple and Gold started the game well as they kept racking buckets to put pressure on their opponents. However, the Memphis Grizzlies made their way back into the game and took a six-point lead going into halftime.
LeBron James looked good on the night. However, his efforts just weren't enough as the LA Lakers offense kept leaking turnovers, which the Grizzlies took complete advantage of.
DESMOND BANE. THAT'S THE TWEET. https://t.co/UAXeo6KrOP
Without Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, the Memphis Grizzlies shot 43.6% from the field.
LeBron James ended the night with the 100th triple-double of his career. However, he was disappointed that the LA Lakers were unable to grab a win.
13 IN THE QUARTER FOR TRIP. YEAH YEAH. https://t.co/wyFpU68zOe
The LA Lakers will next face the OKC Thunder on Friday. Having already lost twice to the Thunder, the Lakers will have revenge on their minds as they try to bag a win at the Paycom Center.