The Lakers blew a 19-point lead in a loss to the Warriors at the Staples Center last night. LeBron James was soundly criticized for a subpar outing.
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The game started off at a great pace for the Lakers. Dennis Schroder was well-nigh unstoppable in the first quarter, weaving through the paint at will. He made all but one of his shots in the first period. After he subsequently cooled down, the Lakers’ offense also seemed much less potent.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James both had bad shooting nights – a rarity. Despite James Wiseman being off the court with 5 fouls early in the 3rd, they couldn’t take advantage of the undersized Warriors. Draymond also picked up his 5th foul early in the 4th.
The Lakers simply failed to get their offense going when it mattered the most. They missed 10 straight field goal attempts in the 4th. This coincided with a run by the Warriors, capped off by a great Kelly Oubre sequence.
LeBron James is flamed by fans for sloppy play all game long
James has noticeably played quite within himself all season long. He’s barely breaking a sweat. But tonight, against a 2-time MVP, James should have turned it up a couple of notches. Games like this are opportunities to make statements – especially on an occasion like MLK Day.
The Lakers had Draymond Green at their mercy all through the 4th quarter. He was sitting on 5 fouls, earned by the 5 minute mark in the third. For dominant physical specimens like AD and LeBron, it should have been a no-brainer to try and take him on the drive. But they let him off the hook.
To top off a pathetic night all around, James committed two traveling turnovers in the 4th. He also missed the game-winning shot at the end, but that might have been less humiliating, all things considered. He’d definitely want to put this one way behind him.
