The emotional side got to us tonight” - LeBron James on LA Lakers’ blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns
LeBron James has blamed the team's emotional implosion for the LA Lakers' blowout loss to Phoenix Suns in their second game of the 2021-22 NBA season on Friday.
The Lakers have endured a rough start to their 2021-22 campaign, dropping both their opening games at home. After losing to the Golden State Warriors in their season opener, the Lakers stumbled against the Phoenix Suns, losing 105-115.
Reflected on the loss, LeBron James said that emotions got the best of the LA Lakers, resulting in their second loss in as many games this season. With a few calls going against them during the game, the 17-time champions struggled to regain their focus. James said:
"We got to do a better job of not allowing calls that we feel like should have went our way stop us from what our goal is on the floor. There were some very very difficult calls that we felt like should've gone our way, but we allowed that to comeback 3-4-5 possession in a row, and we started to lose control of the game."
"We were kind of too worried about what they were calling and what they were not. So I think the emotional side got to us tonight," said LeBron James. (via Spectrum SportsNet)
The LA Lakers had a miserable outing on all fronts, as they failed to click at both ends of the floor. Moreover, Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard got into an altercation, which prevented the Lakers' from gaining any kind of rhythm. They were down by a whopping 32 points in the second quarter as the Phoenix Suns were firmly in the ascendancy.
"It takes time. We have to continue to push and stay positive...we're going to win games we should have lost and lose games we should have won." LeBron James & AD address the media following tonight's #Lakers loss to the Suns. @LakersReporter https://t.co/sYI0WBKvlG
LeBron James had three fouls heading into half-time as some tough calls went against him. Lakers' head coach Frank Vogel was livid with the referees, and he did not shy away from speaking about it in his post-game press conference, saying:
"Usually when you get hit going to the basket, the whistle blows. It didn't tonight."
The LA Lakers could only convert 38% of their field goal attempts, and were dominated in the paint as the Suns outscored them 26-52. They will now hope for a better showing in their next game against the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Sunday.
Should LeBron James and the LA Lakers be worried just yet?
This isn't the first time LeBron James has played in a team with many superstars alongside him. However, despite their star-studded roster, the championship contenders have struggled to get going this season after a winless preseason.
Preseason games MATTERS when it comes down to Chemistry!!! The Lakers took the Preseason for GRANTED while the Warriors took ADVANTAGE of the Preason! Offensively the Lakers offense look horrible and the Warriors look like a well oiled machine. Carry on...
That left them with little time to prepare, with all their main rotation players playing at the same time. That partly explains their underwhelming outings so far this campaign. The LA Lakers are also without key rotation players like Trevor Ariza, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and Wayne Ellington. All of them were expected to play significant roles before long-term injuries ruled them out.
Considering the same, LeBron James and the LA Lakers were always going to struggle initially. However, with a few games under their belt, they should be able to rediscover their mojo.
With only two games played, these are early days in the season. So the team doesn't need to be worried too much, as they have a player like James leading them from the front. LeBron James' experience of making things work with super teams could come in handy as the season progresses.