After a strong third quarter, it seemed as though the Los Angeles Lakers would be heading back home with the series knotted at two games apiece. Instead, the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves were able to take advantage of LA’s exhausted starting lineup, powering through to steal the game late. Stephen A. Smith doesn’t blame head coach JJ Redick for his team’s 3-1 deficit, though.
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After Kendrick Perkins lambasted the Lakers’ coach and demanded he take accountability for his team’s underwhelming play throughout this matchup, Stephen A. explained why his sentiment was a bit harsh. The 40-year-old isn’t able to rely on his inexperienced big men or inconsistent bench, resulting in heavy minutes for his five main players.
As a result, LA’s best talent was clearly worn down by the end of Game 4, paving the opportunity for Minnesota to mount a comeback. Despite boasting arguably the two best players in this series, fatigue has been a prominent factor in slowing down both LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
“LeBron James wasn’t doing anything in the fourth quarter because he was expending all his energy on the defensive end of the floor,” Stephen A. said on First Take. “Because we got to give credit where credit is due to what we’re seeing from Minnesota…Minnesota has basically been all up in the Lakers. All up in them.”
LeBron’s fourth-quarter goose egg will be a prominent talking point until the two teams match up again in Los Angeles. However, James didn’t blame his own disappearing act or even fatigue as the reason the Lakers fell late. Instead, he pointed at the officials for swaying the game in the Wolves’ favor.
LeBron James blamed officiating for Game 4 defeat
In a contest that came down to the final seconds, late foul calls undoubtedly played a role in the result. LeBron’s main gripe with officials came during the deciding play of the game, when an out-of-bounds call on Anthony Edwards was overturned into a foul on James. Instead of gaining possession, the momentum remained with Minnesota.
“That play happens all the time,” James said regarding the challenged call. “Hand is part of that ball. That’s what they say. I feel like the hand was a part of that ball. I was able to hit his hand on top of the ball, stripped out and out him. I’ve seen that play over and over before.”
Blaming officials won’t be enough if the Lakers aren’t able to avoid a gentleman’s sweep at the hands of Minnesota. If Los Angeles isn’t able to mount an improbably comeback, LeBron will suffer the third first-round series loss of his career, all of which have been with the Lakers.
