"Tonight, I was s**t" - LeBron James is disgusted with his performance and vows to bounce back in Game 6
LeBron James was brutally honest about his performance after the LA Lakers failed to close out the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5 on the road. The Lakers lost the Wednesday night game 116-99.
James had a rough night, which contributed to LA's loss. The four-time MVP tallied only 15 points, shooting 5-of-17, including 1-of-9 from three-point range. He also committed a team-high five turnovers. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis had a strong game as he tallied 31 points and 19 rebounds.
LeBron was the better performer in the last game, while AD struggled. James reflected on the two not being able to fire on all cylinders at the same time, saying (via Spectrum SportsNet):
"We just haven't been able to put two performances (in a row) together. We still have put three team efforts together to be up 3-2. That's what's most important. It's not what AD and myself are doing, it's about how we can win basketball games and tonight I was s**t, and I'll be better in Game 6."
“Tonight, I was sh—. And I’ll be better in Game 6.” LeBron James expresses the disappointment felt in his performance tonight. https://t.co/5OlfN6gqbO
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have had an up-and-down series so far. The Lakers were still able to go 3-1 up before their Game 5 loss, thanks to the efforts of their supporting cast. Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura have been crucial in those wins, despite James and Davis misfiring on certain occasions.
However, the Lakers need their superstars to get going consistently to have a better shot at winning the series and making a deep playoff push.
LeBron James is in a shooting slump
LeBron James has impacted games on both ends of the floor during the LA Lakers' first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. He has been more decisive with his defense and playmaking.
He leads the Lakers in scoring, averaging 22.2 points per game. However, James has shot only 45.7%, including 16.7% from the three-point range and 67.9% from the charity stripe.
James has been much more consistently efficient in his previous playoff runs. The Lakers' depth has overshadowed LeBron's shooting slump, but role players can only take a team so far. LA is bound to endure losses like they did in Game 5 against the Grizzlies if James' shooting woes continue.
Nevertheless, the four-time NBA champion has been an all-time great playoff performer. He has the experience to overcome this slump and bounce back strong.
LeBron James has been much better at attacking the rim than relying on his jump shooting, so that's an adjustment he may make to his game moving forward, especially in the closeout Game 6 contest.
LeBron James' historic Game 4 👑
22 PTS | 20 REB | 7 AST | 2 BLK
The Lakers look to advance with a win in tonight's Game 5 (LAL/MEM, 7:30pm/et, TNT) https://t.co/iTLDNE1jwf
The Lakers will hope they can take care of business at home and avoid playing a Game 7 in Memphis, where the series will become a 50-50 contest due to the Grizzlies' home dominance.