LeBron’s supporting cast was left disappointed.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James became the NBA’s first 40,000-point scorer on Saturday night in a 124-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
After the game, LeBron’s Lakers teammates were disappointed that they allowed a game that was tied headed into the fourth quarter slip away, per Lakers Nation:
“Rui Hachimura on another loss to the Nuggets: ‘We’re always there, but those last two or three minutes, we let them score, whatever they want to do… We tried a lot of different defenses on them, but they’re a really good team. Everybody can score, they play for each other.’”
Lakers guard Austin Reaves also weighed in, per Lakers Nation:
“Austin Reaves: ‘To beat them, you have to be good in the fourth quarter… At the end of the day, no one is gonna feel sorry for us. We have to figure it out.’”
While it was certainly a disappointing outcome for the Lakers on such a big night, the team has been playing better of late. The once-struggling team is 9-4 in their last 13 games, righting the ship despite standing deciding not to make a move at the trade deadline. All but guaranteed at least a berth in the play-in tournament, 10th-place Los Angeles was three games back of the Phoenix Suns for sixth place in the NBA Western Conference standings.
While LeBron receives his well-deserved accolades, the Lakers will need to make sure that the loss doesn’t set the team back. They next face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
About the Author
Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting “The Pulse with Peter Sampson” in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer’s Edge and XRAY.FM – where his show “Blazer’s Edge Radio” was named “Portland’s Best Sports Radio” in the 2017 Willamette Week reader’s poll. When he’s not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.
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