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When the NBA schedule makers locked within the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets to play on Christmas Day, the imaginative and prescient was to pit L.A.’s massive three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook in opposition to Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in a star-studded affair.
Due to a left knee harm to Davis and well being and security protocols for Durant and Irving, half these stars weren’t on the court docket within the Nets’ 122-115 win on Saturday.
Regardless of having two of its marquee names in comparison with only one for Brooklyn, L.A. nonetheless ended up on the dropping finish for the fifth straight sport to fall to 16-18, eighth place within the Western Convention. And whereas Westbrook’s resume as a nine-time All-Star and former league MVP warrants him a point out in firm like James, who scored a season-high 39 factors, and Harden, who had a 36-point triple-double, his play on Christmas did not.
The Lakers level guard shot 4-for-20 from the sector, ending the sport with 13 factors, 12 rebounds and 11 assists with 5 fouls and three turnovers.
Westbrook left Crypto.com Enviornment with out talking to reporters, however James spoke up on his behalf and centered on what the 14-year veteran did properly, reasonably than highlighting Westbrook’s struggles.
James dismissed the 16 misses, together with an 0-for-3 mark within the fourth quarter that was punctuated by a missed dunk that acquired blocked by the rim with 26 seconds remaining that might have introduced L.A. inside one, as an “off-shooting evening.”
As an alternative, James lauded Westbrook’s “spectacular” decision-making that led to the guard’s double-digit help whole and identified how 5 of Westbrook’s rebounds got here on the offensive glass, which meant extra possibilities to attain for the Lakers.
“He gave us additional possessions, he gave us plenty of appears across the basket, which I do know that he cannot stand [failing to convert] as properly,” stated James. “However so far as the hassle piece, if a man performs laborious, if a man leaves all of it out on the ground, I acquired no drawback with that. It is a make or miss league.”
Lakers appearing head coach David Fizdale, filling in for Frank Vogel whereas he’s in protocols, stated that Westbrook’s expectations of himself on this, his L.A. homecoming season, have induced him to press the problem.
“A giant a part of it’s he simply desires it so dangerous,” Fizdale stated. “I imply you’ll be able to simply see it in him, everyone does. He desires it so dangerous. And I do know that is simply laborious for him when it does not work out. And I do know he cares like loopy. … I simply need him to take plenty of that strain off himself, preserve attacking, preserve enjoying the way in which we all know he can.”
There’s worth in the truth that Westbrook has performed in all 34 video games for L.A., whereas James has missed 12 and Davis has missed seven and is anticipated to be out for at the very least one other month whereas recovering from a sprained MCL in his left knee.
There was simply such a stark distinction in Westbrook’s manufacturing in comparison with James’ on Saturday. Within the 37 minutes Westbrook performed, the Lakers have been outscored by 23 factors. In the meantime, the Lakers have been a plus-nine within the 40 minutes that James was on the court docket.
Fizdale, who was an assistant coach with the Miami Heat when James helped lead the franchise to 2 championships and 4 straight Finals appearances, lamented not having the ability to capitalize on James’ robust play.
“I am kicking myself within the head as a result of he is giving me unimaginable effort,” Fizdale stated of James, who has now scored 30 factors or extra in 4 straight and 10 of the final 14 video games for L.A. “Making an attempt to determine methods to get him over the hump with that effort, and I hate that it is wasted on losses. Simply spectacular. And I hate that it is wasted on losses.
“However to observe it, to be part of it, regardless that these video games are turning into L’s, I’ve by no means seen something like this man. And we higher certain as hell be thanking our fortunate stars for this man.”
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