Despite being in a 0-3 deficit, the Lakers played some exceptional basketball to lead by as much as 15 points, at one time, in Game 4. And it was LeBron James who was the primary scorer and facilitator for the California-based franchise. Even though the Denver Nuggets did eventually get the win, James’s near 40-point triple-double in just over 47 minutes was a courageous effort to keep his team’s championship hopes alive. However, after recording 31 points in the first half, James only scored 9 in the final two-quarters of the game. And after LeBron failed to pull the Lakers level in the final possession, Skip Bayless had an unsavory angle in his mockery of the King.
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As they’ve been playing all season long, the Colorado-based franchise was simply dominant in these Western Conference Finals. With Nikola Jokic putting up a sensational 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists, Mike Malone’s boys were able to hand LeBron James his first sweep since the 2018 playoffs.
“The “King” giveth … and he taketh away”: Skip Bayless on LeBron James
Skip Bayless was already spamming posts on Twitter all game long. And when the game finally ended, he sent out a message talking about the 6-foot-9 forward’s impressive outing, yet his inability to close out the game. As soon as the bout ended, Bayless tweeted:
The “King” giveth … and he taketh away
Of course, by ‘giveth’, Skip Bayless means that LeBron James was the one who made it a possibility for the Lakers to win this game. His first-half performance alluded to as much. And when he says ‘taketh away’ he is referring to his two botched clutch shots. One that LeBron James clanged against the side of the backboard, and another that he had blocked completely, before the final buzzer.
It was always a bit unimaginable that Skip Bayless would ever compliment LeBron James for his game. But still, a little acknowledgment would have been nice…? Take a look at the following tweets by NBA to check out how James made NBA history, as well as the final possession of the game.
Further, the “UNDISPUTED” analyst could also be referring to the 38-year-old’s lackluster 2nd half-performance.
Even though he scored merely 9 points in the final two periods, Bron was attacking the rim and producing open looks for his teammates. However, it just wasn’t enough to prevent Mike Malone’s boys from grabbing the win.
What now for the Lakers?
The Lakers have had a tremendous campaign. From being at the 13th spot in the West at one point of the regular season to defeating the defending champs in order to advance to the WCF, the Purple & Gold had quite the turnaround.
However, despite the fearless efforts made by this unit, speculations are that the roster might not be the same entering the 2023-2024 season.
Apart from it presumably being “the end” for LeBron, with rumors surrounding Kyrie Irving’s addition to the team, the Lakers will likely be losing several key pieces from the rotation along with a few draft picks.
