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The Lakers’ LeBron James shoots a three-pointer over New Orleans center Yves Missi in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 104-99 win Saturday night. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)
It’s one of the great mysteries in the NBA, why a team like the Lakers can look so competitive one night and so lost 24 hours later.
“Play harder” can be the core of every coaching message, the desire of every player and, for some reason, it doesn’t matter.
Some nights, and especially on the ones like Saturday in New Orleans, teams just don’t have it.
And no matter if the sneakers look as if they’re made of concrete or the jerseys of lead, those teams still try to win.
LeBron James has done it before. Saturday, he did it again, helping his team steal a 104-99 win. The Lakers have won five straight.
James hit back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter — punctuating the second with his signature “silencer” celebration — as he stomped his feet in glee. Max Christie, getting a surprise start because of injuries, sealed the win by stealing the Lakers an extra possession in the final seconds.
“It’s really hard to win a game in this league,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said he told his players Saturday morning. “It’s really hard to win on the road in this league, and it requires effort and toughness.”
Sometimes in circumstances like this, that counts for double.
Facing a Pelicans team so banged up that only three players featured in their pregame hype video actually played, the Lakers (9-4) were already facing a threat to their competitive focus.
And then the game started.
Read more: LeBron James achieves a career first and Anthony Davis scores 40 in exciting Lakers win
The Lakers looked as though they were trudging through the swamp — they were slow to rebounds, late to rotations and, uncharacteristically, a mess on offense.
James coughed the ball up. Anthony Davis had it squirt through his usually sure hands. And Austin Reaves, standing wide open in the corner, shot a three that hit the side of the backboard.
The malaise allowed New Orleans (4-10), which played the night before (albeit at home), to build a 15-point lead…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lebron-james-delivers-pair-silencer-033426432.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-11-17 03:34:00
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