LeBron James says Lakers lack championship caliber after 119-110 loss to Thunder
lebron-james-says-lakers-lack-championship-caliber
The Los Angeles Lakers fell 119-110 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, and afterward LeBron James declared that his own club is not operating at a title-winning level.
“You want me to compare us to them? That’s a championship team right there. We’re not,” James told reporters following the defeat, citing the Lakers’ inability “to sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes.”
The Thunder, now 40-13, closed the contest on a 21-11 surge after the Lakers briefly moved ahead 99-98 with 7:24 to play. Forward Jalen Williams, back after missing 10 games, scored 10 of his 23 points in the final five minutes to secure the win.
Los Angeles (32-19) played without NBA scoring leader Luka Dončić, sidelined for a second straight game by a mild hamstring strain. Oklahoma City was also short-handed, resting reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because of an abdominal injury that is expected to keep him out through this weekend’s All-Star Game in Inglewood, California.
James finished with 22 points, 14 after halftime, as the Lakers’ three-game winning streak ended. The teams combined for 52 free-throw attempts in a physical matchup that echoed the Thunder’s style from last season’s championship run.
Head coach JJ Redick praised his roster’s effort but acknowledged lapses when it mattered most. “Against the best teams — and Oklahoma City clearly is — you have to have a high level of effort and a high level of execution,” Redick said. “In key stretches our execution wasn’t great.”
Source: ESPN
