As the losses continue to pile up, LeBron James is not looking for sympathy. He is looking for solutions. After the Los Angeles Lakers dropped their fifth game in six outings with a 132–116 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, LeBron made it clear that excuses are no longer part of the conversation.
“At the end of the day, nobody is feeling sorry for us, nor are we looking for it. The guys that are available, we got to go out there and play our game, play the way we want to play offensively and defensively and just try to right the ship until we get whole.”
That mindset sums up where the Lakers are right now. Injuries have shredded any sense of continuity. Luka Doncic sat out with left groin soreness. Deandre Ayton missed the game with knee soreness. Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes, and Adou Thiero were all unavailable. In the fourth quarter, Marcus Smart went down hard and limped to the locker room, never to return. By the end of the night, the Lakers were essentially running on fumes.
LeBron tried to keep them afloat. He finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, but it was a grind. He shot just 6-of-16 from the field and missed his first five attempts of the game. Without Doncic to organize the offense and tilt defensive coverage, every possession felt heavier. LeBron was forced into traffic more often, and Portland made sure nothing came easy.
The tone of the game was set early. The Lakers were whistled for 13 fouls in the first quarter alone, sending Portland to the line 22 times in the opening 12 minutes. That destroyed any chance of defensive rhythm and helped the Blazers jump out to a 40–27 lead. Even when the Lakers made small pushes, they could never fully close the gap.
To their credit, there were individual bright spots. Drew Timme scored a career-high 21 points and looked comfortable offensively. Marcus Smart had 25 points before his injury. Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber chipped in 11 apiece. But none of it was enough to offset Portland’s control of the glass and steady shot-making. The Blazers won the rebounding battle 42–27 and turned second-chance opportunities into momentum-killing runs.
Head coach JJ Redick didn’t sugarcoat the situation afterward.
“This has been like the normal all season… We’ve won some games. We’ve actually beaten a bunch of good teams. You play a team the second time around sometimes, and you rewatch the game, and you’re like, “Oh s***, we didn’t have Austin that game,’ or ‘We didn’t have Luka that game,’ or ‘We didn’t have Rui that game,’ or ‘We didn’t have Ayton that game.'”
“So, this has just been our season. And look, every team’s going through it. I’m not trying to say we’re singled out, but you know, this has been our season. You get one guy healthy, and another guy gets injured. You get one guy back, another guy gets injured. Two guys go out. Tonight, you play without your two centers. So, just been our season.”
It was less frustration than resignation. Through 40 games, three of the Lakers’ five main starters have played 30 games or fewer. That lack of continuity has shown up in late rotations, missed assignments, and inconsistent offense.
Still, LeBron’s message was firm. The Lakers cannot wait around for help. They have to compete with who is on the floor. At 24–16, they remain sixth in the West, but the margin is shrinking fast. A team that started 15–4 is now fighting to avoid sliding into the play-in picture.
LeBron’s leadership tone matters here. At 41, he could easily point to injuries or minutes load. Instead, he is demanding accountability. The Lakers may not be whole right now, but as LeBron made clear, the season is not going to pause until they are. The ship still needs steering, and the responsibility starts with those still standing.
