LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers faced disappointment yet again, as they lost an all-important game against the New Orleans Pelicans. This game had major implications on the bottom end of the Western Conference, as both the Pelicans and Lakers are jockeying for a spot in the play-in tournament.
After the game, LeBron James addressed the loss in his post-game press conference. James said that the team’s loss did not make them feel good. He noted how he prepared himself mentally for the game, treating it like a playoff game. But the lack of playoff experience among some of the Lakers’ most important players played a role in the loss, and they will be hoping to fix their mistakes going forward (3:08 onwards).
"It's a microcosm of our season." LeBron James on tweaking his ankle in tonight's game and his outlook on the remainder of the #LakeShow's season. @LakersReporter pic.twitter.com/zIGUKcSwZb
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 28, 2022
“Feels like sh*t. Excuse my language but that’s what it feels like. I came in with the mindset, understand that it was a playoff type atmosphere, playoff implications, things of that nature. I knew that from the jump. We also got a lot of guys from our ball club that haven’t played in playoff games. They’ve played a lot of big minutes for us. You got Malik, Wayne, Austin, Stan, Talen is pretty much not accustomed to as well. We try to help the young guys understand the magnitude of it. And they got guys who have been in the postseason. But it feels like a wasted opportunity for myself and for my team, we weren’t able to get it done.”
LeBron also spoke about the aggravation he sustained to his ankle injury. On top of that, he discussed Malik Monk’s comments about the Lakers’ chances, noting that he puts his team in a position to win each and every game when healthy. But most notably, James was clearly disappointed with the team’s performance, noting that it was a microcosm of their entire season so far.
The Lakers will get one more shot at playing against the Pelicans this weekend. LeBron scored 39 points last night and will be hoping for a similar performance coupled with a win this Saturday. The remaining games for the Lakers are crucial, and they need to get as many wins as possible.
