Lakers

This NBA analyst thinks the Lakers lost those two games because of LeBron pushing it on Saturday.

So LeBron James ultimately let one win cost him two games and I gotta impart blame on LeBron James because while he wowed the crowd and thank you, LeBron James, for it because at the end of the day if I was in Crypto Arena, put up 56 points against Steph Curry, do that entertain me, me, me, I, I, I, mine, mine, mine. It's an odd argument to make, especially given how much LeBron has had to carry the Lakers this year. They followed that up with two losses in Texas, one of which was missed by LeBron resting his knee.

LeBron James had 50 points for the second time in three games to rally the Lakers to victory, leading coach Frank Vogel to say the NBA "has never seen a ...

"I just tried to stay in that zone as long as possible and hit a couple.'' "It was just about having those guys in there to win," Vogel said of his closing lineup. "When he had 47, I knew he was going to get 50, so that's why I went to try and get him the 3. Vogel pulled him with 8 minutes, 37 seconds remaining and kept him on the bench the rest of the way. It was the 14th 50-point game of James' career, tying Rick Barry for the sixth most all time, and his teams have now won their past 12 games when he has gone for 50 or more. And he did it in a variety of ways, starting the flurry with an 18-foot fadeaway, followed by an and-1 layup, then a pull-up 3 from 31 feet. It's just unbelievable the level that he's playing at." Doing whatever the team needs to win games. L.A. appeared to be heading toward another loss, down by nine early in the third quarter, when James got red-hot. So, that's what goes into it." They have the right to have any response they want," James said. "Listen, the Laker faithful knows when bad basketball is being played and they know when good basketball is being played.

Lakers star Anthony Davis is getting closer to returning from the mid-foot sprain that has kept him out for nearly a month so far.

If Davis is immediately cleared, that would leave him with 13 games left to ramp up, and any delay beyond Thursday will obviously cost him more. He will also likely miss at least the team’s next three contests before his reevaluation, if that indeed takes place on Thursday. “His walking boot is off, and I’m told this week the next step for him is he’ll get on the court and start to do some stationary shooting.

Channing Frye has a stern warning about Lakers star and former teammate LeBron James amid his recent offensive eruption.

As Frye expressed, the only way he sees this playing out for the Lakers is if Anthony Davis finally gets healthy again. So for him to do that, and you expect him to have another level for the Playoffs, I think he’s just doing this to keep that team afloat until Anthony Davis or Russell Westbrook snap out of whatever they’re in — injuries or just in a little funk.” “I don’t know how long he can continue to do this,” Frye warned, “and I say that very kinda like cautiously, but I don’t know how much he’s gonna have left in the tank. James has indeed proven that he has been able to defy the aging process thus far, but the harsh reality is that you can only push back the inevitable for so much. LeBron was definitely hitting his shots for the Lakers on Friday night and it resulted in his second 50-point performance in the span of a week. “Zero. This does not surprise me at all,” Fryesaidabout how surprised he was about LeBron’s explosion against the Wizards. “He’s so good, he can be whatever you need him to be.

TNT NBA analyst and two-time NBA champ Kenny Smith boldly predicted the Lakers will win a round in the playoffs that'd be against the Suns this year.

That would be a very tough matchup for the Suns. I like my Suns, but in the second round of the playoffs, Utah against Phoenix would be a hell of a series." "Utah against Phoenix would be a hell of a series because Utah, they are so streaky when it comes to shooting," Barkley continued. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin. When it comes down to getting that championship, they know how to obtain their championship focus." We're happy about it, but we have to temper it until he's able to get to 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5-on-5." The Jazz (41-25) are currently a fourth seed and just a half game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks (41-26). So the Warriors could be full strength by late March as many are expecting Golden State and Phoenix to meet in the conference finals. While the Suns are looking to return to full strength heading into the playoffs, Golden State is expecting to have Draymond Green (back) and James Wiseman (knee) back in the near future as Shaquille O'Neal sees the Warriors emerging out of the West. Golden State has Wiseman playing in the G League for the Santa Cruz Warriors. The second overall pick in the 2020 draft scored 18 points Thursday against the Stockton Kings and is slated to see action Sunday against the G League Ignite. If the standings hold, the ninth-seeded Lakers (29-37) will need to win twice in the play-in for the eighth seed and would face the Suns (53-14) in the opening round for a second straight year. "It's awesome, but I wouldn't get too excited about it," Williams said before Friday's game. "They will win a round in the playoffs," Smith concluded as that prediction got a rise out of host Ernie Johnson.

There were Malik Monk 3-pointers in quick succession. There was Talen Horton-Tucker, spinning past Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and dunking over Kyle Kuzma. There ...

They’ve continued to improve and get better and more comfortable in our system, in our environment.” “When Bron is going like that, we kind of got to reward him,” he said. As James lit the Wizards up from all over the court, those role players found ways to seize off his standard. So, it was great to see those guys make plays down the stretch. While the recent starting lineup has played just 48 minutes together, according to NBA tracking data, that five-man group has a whopping 31.4 net rating. There are several key factors in the ninth-place Lakers’ belief that they can do damage in the postseason.

After facing teams that are right alongside them around the bottom of the standings, the Lakers will face one of the tougher tests they can find in the NBA, ...

The team will need a performance from LeBron that at least comes close to what we saw on Friday if they want to have any chance against a Suns team this good, even if they’re not fully healthy. The 50-point game caused the story of Vogel-favorite Avery Bradley being held out of the contest to not be discussed as much as it may have with a “measly” and more common 25-30 point game from LeBron. The recently-signed Wenyen Gabriel was the beneficiary of Bradley’s time on bench, and he validated Vogel’s decision with 12-minutes of high-energy effort, a 3-pointer and four rebounds. On the plus side, at least Frank Vogel isn’t keeping everything with the team the same in hopes of getting those games every night. It’s possible that the purple and gold will be playing the Suns in a seven-game playoff series. So what do we have to learn about the Lakers in this one? So as we slowly leave Friday’s game in the rearview, that scary reality becomes even more terrifying with a much better opponent than the Wizards coming up.

The Los Angeles Lakers will face a challenge on Sunday when they travel to Arizona to face the Phoenix Suns, who hold the NBA's best record.

Through three games, it looked like L.A. had control of the series, as it held a 2-1 series lead. The Suns are without their leader, Chris Paul, who will miss several weeks with a fractured thumb. James has been dealing with a troublesome left knee for several weeks now.

Turns out, LeBron James is great, and when he's at his best, he'll lay waste to a nearly inert Washington Wizards defense. In a game between two of the ...

0 0 0 0 2 2 Malik Monk ran free on the perimeter and shot 5-7 from three-point range on mostly uncontested shots. He missed both his shots and had a turnover. - Deni Avdija had another bad game. James led the way, of course, with an efg of 84.0% and an offensive rating of 169. On offens e, the Wizards were okay. Turns out, LeBron James is great, and when he’s at his best, he’ll lay waste to a nearly inert Washington Wizards defense.

“He's really good at basketball, that LeBron James,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “I think what stands out to me is the league has never seen a player at his ...

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said he wanted to give fans something to cheer about after win over Washington Wizards.

Prepping on everything I can possibly do in my power to help this team as great as we can be that night. Fans have been begging to see some success, but it might be short-lived because the Purple and Gold get a tough road date against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Lakers fans are unrelenting when the team is struggling, and Westbrook has been a popular scapegoat when parsing over why L.A. has not won like many expected them to do. Try to give them something to cheer for, give them something to feel good about on a nightly basis. They have the right to have any response they want. The Laker faithful know when bad basketball is being played, they know when good basketball is being played.

The 37-year-old's performance was a master class in offensive efficiency, and the Lakers need him playing at his highest level to win.

“I think that’s the biggest thing that needs to be recognized. “I think that’s the biggest thing that needs to be recognized. It was James’ 14th 50-point game of his career, tying Rick Barry for the sixth-most inNBAhistory. James has won 12 consecutive games when scoring 50-plus points.

Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker had three big dunks and 15 points off the bench in the win over Washington on Friday while dealing with ankle injury.

“I’m just trying to play through it. So, I’m trying to play through it. “But I thought the whole game that Talen was really impressive. “That play was awesome. And it’s Kuz and KCP. They got me a lot when I was a rookie. “Me being young, I know I still got a lot to learn.

Kyle Kuzma sent out two tweets after the Washington Wizards lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in California.

Before missing the playoffs for two straight seasons, they had made the NBA Finals five times in a row.CLICK HERE. They have been one of the best teams in the entire NBA, and Steph Curry is having an MVP-caliber year. The Washington Wizards lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in California by a score of 122-109 on Friday evening in California.

LeBron carried the Lakers once again, reminding us that he is one of the greatest to ever take the court.

Reaves scored 12 of his own and played a whole lot of defense. After the game, Frank Vogel called LeBron's performance amazing, and it absolutely was regardless of his age. James shot 18-25 from the field and hit 6 of his 9 three-point attempts.

Only six times has anyone over the age of 30 led the league in scoring. Michael Jordan did it three times while Stephen Curry, James Harden and Jerry West each ...

According to Stathead, his 29.7 points per game are the most anyone has averaged at this stage of their career According to TSN's Micah Adams, the next longest gap is ... six. James has led the league in scoring once before. At the age of 35, Jordan is currently the oldest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring with 28.7 points per game. With less than a month to go in the season, James finds himself in a three-man race for the scoring title, with him, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo each averaging 29.7 points per game. He then exploded for 50 points in a win over the Wizards six days later, becoming the first player his age with multiple 50-point games.

Lakers fans have had a very frustrating year, and LeBron James knows it.

Try to give them something to cheer for, give them something to feel good about on a nightly basis. They have the right to have any response they want." James once again scored 50 points and carried the Lakers to a win.

Stephen Curry says he supports Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook after he and his family receive hate and taunting from fans.

But at the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do to speak up for yourself and also understand that the guys that know what’s going on in this league respect the type of player he is. He’s a professional, and I’m proud of the way he’s conducting himself, and I’m there for him.” The fact that he’s being affected by a season of name-calling and taunting shows things don’t have to reach extreme levels for it to take a toll on players. “It is the nature of the beast. This is hardly the first time fans have overstepped the relationship between player and viewer. “The fan perspective, it is kind of B.S. when it crosses the line in terms of attacking somebody personally, their name, and not keeping it to just basketball,” Curry said.

With his recent scoring spree, Lakers superstar LeBron James was able to achieve an NBA record only done by Wilt Chamberlain before.

LeBron James is carrying the Lakers in the absence of Anthony Davis and amid the struggles of Russell Westbrook, and man, he’s going all out. Sure enough, he is showing everyone that he can score at will whenever he wants to. Before his latest explosion for the Lakers, he had 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in their recent showdown with the Houston Rockets.

The Washed King scored 50 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 122-109 victory over the Washington Wizards. At 37, he now is the oldest player in NBA ...

“I think what stands out to me is the league has never seen a player at his stage of his career do what he’s doing. I just tried to stay in that zone as long as possible and hit a couple.” The Los Angeles Lakers have won two games this week with one strategy.

LeBron James went out of his way multiple times on Friday night to specify that he's playing for Lakers fans, and trying to give them something to cheer ...

They know when you’re playing bad basketball, and they know when you’re playing good basketball, and it’s our job to go out there and play inspired basketball and good basketball for these fans that have seen so many great games, so many great performances and and so many greats over the years. The intent is in the eye of the beholder, with enough plausible deniability baked in for the various parties involved here to believe in or argue against any scenario. However, in the interest of complete fairness, James did also just seem particularly intent on re-ingratiating himself to Lakers fans after a rough season, and making it clear that he sees it as an honor to play for this franchise. So for me, being a part of this franchise, I feel like I just try to give them an opportunity to have memorable nights as well, and try to give them something to cheer for. At the end of the day, they’ve seen so many great teams, so many great individuals, so many great individual performances, so many great things in this building and over the course of this franchise’s history. Here is the full question, and his answer, so anyone can judge for themselves if they think James was sending a subtle rebuke to Westbrook for calling out Lakers fans:

THT was right in the face of Kyle Kuzma after a LeBron three, and it sure looked like it was intentional.

It sure looked like there was some intention behind it from the Lakers guard. The Lakers went on to beat the Wizards 122-109. But there was one moment from THT that caught the attention of everyone.

The Los Angeles Lakers (29-37) play against the Phoenix Suns (53-14) at Footprint Center The Los Angeles Lakers are spending $5668568 per win while the ...

Iverson came the closest: his last Memphis/Philly season dropped him from 27.1 to 26.7. Since Dec. 31, the Suns have the best record in the NBA at 26-7. – without hating on another. You can appreciate one – or both!!! They know that … They got away with one” – LeBron’s effort getting back on defense seems suboptimal – The Lakers took a timeout after the Suns took a 8-6 lead to talk it over. The Suns lead the Lakers 35-14 with 3:10 remaining in the first quarter. A 48-point first quarter from the Suns against the Lakers defense. He’s the 1st player in league history to reach the 10,000 mark in all three major statistical categories of points, rebounds and assists – New story: Anthony Davis on his chances to return this season – “I’m very optimistic about it. … You got next game and not worry about what you did last game.” –

Talen Horton Tucker has turned it on as of late. The Lakers wing has apparently done so while battling a pretty significant injury.

That’s why LeBron James has had to drop a 50-point game not one, but twice over the past week to secure a couple of much-needed victories and pad their lead over the 10th placed New Orleans Pelicans. I’m just trying to play through it until the end of the season because we’ve got to get some wins,” Horton-Tucker said. I’m trying to play through it, (even if) it still hurts.”

Talen Horton-Tucker is playing hurt for the Lakers because he still wants to help the team make the best of this season.

Now, maybe Horton-Tucker is just too young and naive to feel hopeless about a season this lost. That Horton-Tucker revealed this after one of his better games of the season feels notable. I’m just trying to play through it until the end of the season because we’ve got to get some wins,” Horton-Tucker said.

As it turns out, however, Lakers fans might not be getting their wish of AD returning in the immediate future. According to ESPN's NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski, ...

That is, that the Lakers will be able to maintain their position in the West, which as of right now, will put them in the play-in tournament. Woj emphasizes here that the Lakers are “not punting on this season.” All hope is not lost on this team and they’re now praying that LeBron James and the rest of the crew are able to keep the boat afloat until Davis returns. “Anthony Davis is making progress on that mid-foot sprain that has kept him out since February 16th,” Wojstarted. “His walking boot is off and I’m told this week the next step now for him is he’ll get on the court to do some stationary shooting.