LeBron James carried the Los Angeles Lakers as Luka Doncic struggled anew and Austin Reaves was ejected but the 40-year-old superstar fell short in the end.
James missed two game-tying 3-point attempts in the final five seconds that served as the final nail on their coffins in the 100-97 upset loss to the rebuilding Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Crypto.com Arena.
It was a new low point for James as he is now 1-of-29 game-tying or go-ahead attempts in the last five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime as a Laker, according to ESPN.
This stat on LeBron in the clutch 😯 pic.twitter.com/Ux0KQHtnvE
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“We run the set that JJ draws up,” James told reporters about the last play. “You execute it. And we executed it. We just didn’t make it.”
James had his clutch moments in Cleveland and Miami but that has become far and between in Los Angeles as the clock began ticking for the final chapter of his illustrious career.
Luka Doncic on Playing Decoy to LeBron James
The Lakers have acquired his successor, Luka Doncic, in the most shocking trade in NBA history for his good friend, Anthony Davis. But on Wednesday night, Doncic was content to play the decoy.
Doncic inbounded the ball to James near the midcourt logo. James took one dribble then launched a 31-foot three-point attempt that just grazed the front of the rim. Gabe Vincent grabbed the offensive rebound and immediately passed it back to James, who missed a 29-foot fallaway 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“[James] had it going, so obviously we’re going to go to him,” Doncic told reporters after the loss.
James had scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the fourth quarter before his clutch misses. He finished with 26 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and two blocks in 38 minutes.
On the other hand, Doncic had a measly five points on 2-of-5 shooting in the final period. Doncic finished with only 14 points on 5-of-18 shooting. But he did add a game-high 11 rebounds and eight assists against six turnovers.
Doncic admitted he was rusty coming off the NBA All-Star break.
“Obviously, it’s going to take a lot of time,” Doncic said of adjusting with his new team. “Today a lot of rustiness for my part. Starting the game with like four or five turnovers, that can’t happen. So I got to play the basketball the right way.”
But once he gets his rhythm back, Doncic expects that he’d also have the chance to take the last shot as he was accustomed to in Dallas.
“I think it will go both ways,” Doncic said. “One time it’s going to be him, one time me. So I think it depends how the game is going.”
JJ Redick Explains Final Lakers Play
First-time head coach JJ Redick welcomes the opportunity to have both James and Doncic as closers. But like Doncic, Redick felt James had the hot hands so he went with him in the final play.
“As a coach, you’re excited that you have two guys that can be the passer and be the guy who gets the pass,” Redick told reporters. “But it felt like LeBron, particularly in the fourth, just found a nice rhythm, and I felt really comfortable with that. And we got two good looks.”
But James badly missed them as his clutch woes continue.
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