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The Los Angeles Lakers benefitted from the extracurricular activities between Jarred Vanderbilt and Dillon Brooks of the Houston Rockets, the result of which was the former being ejected. The commotion overshadowed a disappointing Lakers showing, especially down the stretch.
“[We] just didn’t get back,” James told reporters on January 29. “You just have a sense of care factor. We didn’t have no care factor in those last two and a half minutes.”
Houston closed on a 14-8 run over the final two minutes to seal the 135-119 victory.
This was after the Lakers had whittled away at a 30-point Rockets lead. The Rockets also beat the Lakers up in the paint, tallying 68 points in the area. They were also plus-13 in second-chance points and plus-14 in fastbreak points.
James finished in a three-way tie for the team lead with 23 points, joining Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell on the evening.
James added 10 assists, six rebounds, one assist, and one block.
The 21st-year star entered the contest questionable, as he has throughout the season, with an ankle injury. Head Coach Darvin Ham said the team would determine James and Davis’ availability for the second leg of their back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks.
James has missed just five games this season. Two of those absences have come on the tail end of a back-to-back.
LeBron James Sidestep Questions About Dillon Brooks After Rockets Beat Lakers
James received a smack to the face from Brooks while the latter attempted to contest a shot. Davis and Ham both felt as though Brooks should have been ejected. If not for his hit on James, then certainly for his push on Vanderbilt while the Lakers forward attempted a dunk.
James was asked what he would tell Vanderbilt to handle similar situations in the future.
“We just got to be a better team,” James said, focusing on the team instead. “Got to be better to win ball games, and we wasn’t tonight.”
Asked directly about Brooks, James cut the reporter short, saying, “Next question.”
Brooks and James have a history going back to the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The outspoken Brooks – then with the Grizzlies – took it upon himself to try agitating James, though the Lakers would get the last laugh, winning the series in six games. This was the final meeting between the Lakers and Rockets during the regular season.
And the Rockets are currently outside of the Play-In Tournament field.
James and Co. might have to wait until next season to exact their revenge. And not just for Brooks’ actions. But also for the way they (the Lakers) played in the contest.
LeBron James Ranks 3rd in NBA Jersey Sales
The NBA released the data for the top-selling NBA jerseys over the first half of this season, and James checked in third on the list behind Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
James and the Lakers led jersey sales over the back half of the 2022-23 season.
They went on a run during that time, culminating with a Western Conference Finals berth. Perhaps a similar run could spark them to another top finish this season.
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