“LeBron James: NO CLOSER GENE!”: Skip Bayless Berates Lakers Star For Blowing 4th Quarter Lead in Game 3 vs Nuggets
The Lakers were 6-0 in Crypto.com Arena in the 2023 Playoffs coming into Saturday night’s game. Much like Nuggets Head Coach, Mike Malone said after Game 1, the whole narrative was about the Lakers making a comeback in Game 3 with the series coming back to LA. However, similar to their last outing, the Purple and Gold fumbled it late in the game, and are now down 0-3 in the series. Skip Bayless couldn’t help but rejoice as LeBron James failed to close yet another game for his team.
James continued his awful shooting from the three-point line, going 0-3 in the 1st quarter. D’Angelo Russell’s poor form in general was not helping either. Still, the Lakers were down by just 3 points at the halfway mark. The game was not too far away and James even made 2 straight threes to close the 3rd quarter. LA trailed by just two points with one last quarter remaining.
They then made a comeback to take a 1-point lead early in the 4th quarter. However, the team soon gave it away, never to regain their footing. And in the end, they lost the game 119-108 at home. James kept bricking from the perimeter throughout that period. This is why the 71-year-old analyst called out the 19x All-Star after the loss.
Skip Bayless berates LeBron James for his closing abilities
Throughout the 1st three quarters, the Lakers managed to keep Nikola Jokic quiet on both ends of the floor and let Jamal Murray burn them alone. The latter had 30 points in the 1st half, the Joker had just 9 at the time. Adding to the positives for LA, neither of the two scorers even troubled them in the 3rd quarter.
James and Anthony Davis should have been the ones to take advantage of that situation and close it out. But the Nuggets’ duo then took over and led them to a 13-0 run.
The 2020 champs could not come back from that. And because of this, Veteran FS1 analyst, Skip Bayless, chose to destroy the 38-year-old for it on Twitter with a series of Tweets.
“With 7:48 left in a home game they pretty much had to win, LeBron James Team led by one. The rest of the way, the Nuggets won 26-14. ALL YEAR LONG THE LAKERS HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE. LEBRON: NO CLOSER GENE,” Tweeted Bayless.
With 7:48 left in a home game they pretty much had to win, LeBron James Team led by one. The rest of the way, the Nuggets won 26-14. ALL YEAR LONG THE LAKERS HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE. LEBRON: NO CLOSER GENE.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 21, 2023
It was a follow-up to some other severe concerns he had with LBJ. “Surely LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers cannot be swept in the conference finals. Can they?” Skip asked earlier.
Surely LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers cannot be swept in the conference finals. Can they??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 21, 2023
Bayless also called James’ “pathetic” 3-point shooting out.
The Lakers lost this game from the 3-point line, 17 to 10. LeBron finally made 3 but wound up going 3-9. Just pathetic. Way too many attempts, way too few makes. LeBron remains addicted to jacking up way too many 3s instead of driving or posting.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 21, 2023
Without a doubt, there are some harsh words at play here. However, the more the Lakers lose during this series, the more difficult it becomes to deny Skip Bayless, and his premonitions about this franchise.
How do James and AD plan on coming back?
According to Rachel Nichols, LeBron James advised his squad to take one contest at a time in the locker room after Game 3, “just gotta get one. It’s a one-game series for us.”
Anthony Davis who wore the matching shirt to James’ said the same in the post-game interview. But taking one game at a time when you’re 3 games down, is easier said than done.
Even the Nuggets will take it one game at a time, having to win just one out of the remaining 4, two of which will be played out in Denver. Given the fact that no NBA team in Playoffs history (0-149), has come back from a 3-game hole, it’s safe to say, the end is near for this rollercoaster of a Lakers season.
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