Exactly 20 years ago, LeBron James made his NBA debut in Sacramento, and just like back then, the 38-year-old suffered a defeat in the California capital. The Los Angeles Lakers lost after overtime, but for James, the Lakers’ problems lay elsewhere.
“We played well and had good shots. We didn’t hit them, but they did,” said James about the extra time in Sacramento, which the Kings played without their two all-stars Domantas Sabonis (fouled out) and De’Aaron Fox (ankle injury). won and won 132:127.
What ultimately broke the Lakers’ neck were two offensive rebounds, which led to threes from the Kings. “That’s been something of our Achilles heel in recent years,” admitted LeBron. “We forced them to make difficult shots, but they got the long rebounds. We have to do better,” said James.
What was crucial for James, however, was that the Lakers, like in the first two games, quickly ran after a double-digit deficit and had to invest a lot to get back into the game. The Kings quickly gained a double-digit lead, and at one point the difference was 15 points. “We urgently need to improve, but I believe we will find solutions.”
Coach Darvin Ham also recognized the problem and announced after the game that he would look at his rotations and make adjustments accordingly. The Lakers are back in action tomorrow against Orlando, but Ham did not want to reveal whether James or Anthony Davis will also play then.
Meanwhile, it was an anniversary for James, because exactly 20 years after his NBA debut in Sacramento, LeBron was back in the capital of California. “It’s cool that it was in exactly the same city, even though we played in the ARCO Arena back then. It’s great that I’m still there,” said James, who played 39 minutes this time and scored 27 points , 15 rebounds, 8 assists, but also 8 turnovers.
Los Angeles Lakers: Upcoming games
2023-10-30 06:07:00
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