The Los Angeles Lakers have been on an absolute heater over the last few weeks. After a slow start coming out of the All-Star break, the team seems to have found its groove and is operating at peak capacity.
In back-to-back games against the Houston Rockets, they were able to outexecute and get the victory. But for resident LeBron James critic Skip Bayless, the latest outing was another excuse for him to criticize the four-time MVP despite his historic milestone.
From Not Enough to Too Much, the LeBron James Saga
The big question mark surrounding the Lakers coming into the season was the coexistence of its best players. In James, Austin Reaves, and Luka Dončić, they had three legitimate superstars, all of whom needed the ball in their hands.
As a result, many expected James to be the one to take a backseat for his younger co-stars. Slowly but surely, as the results have pointed in that direction, the four-time NBA champion has done exactly that.
However, for Bayless, the pendulum may have swung a little too much in the other direction. Facing the Rockets for the second consecutive game, the Lakers secured a 124-116 win to take the season series.
While James had arguably his best game of the month, he wasn’t the star of the show by the end of the night. Over the final five minutes, Dončić took over the game in a dazzling display, before nailing the final dagger on a stepback 3-pointer.
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For Bayless, the deference from the all-time leading scorer in NBA history was the biggest point of complaint. “LeBron is really going out of his way to gush about Luka. Big of him to completely defer. But a little sad to see the ‘King’ take such a backseat.”
James, who was perfect from the field in the first half, was the complementary star to the Slovenian superstar, especially at the end of the game. But it may have boiled down to Dončić going on a ridiculous stretch to put the game out of reach and James’ own injury.
Leaking out on a fastbreak, the 41-year-old was on the receiving end of a hard foul from Jabari Smith Jr. Immediately falling to the floor, the hit seemed to have bothered his right elbow, which forced him to check out of the game for a couple of possessions as well.
It was at that point when Dončić truly took over. With the scores tied at 105 apiece, the five-time All-NBA selection was directly responsible for the next 15 Lakers points, giving them an insurmountable lead.
With two stepback 3-pointers and backdoor lobs to James and Rui Hachimura, he set the flow of the game completely. Add in another assist to the Japanese-born star in the corner, and it allowed him to finish with 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists.
But for all of the complaining from Bayless, James, too, was sensational throughout the game, finishing with 30 points on 13 for 14 shooting from the field.
