Skip Bayless is back to criticizing LeBron James and the LA Lakers, who have lost their third consecutive game. Many expected the Purple and Gold to go back to their winning ways with the return of King James, but the exact opposite happened.
The Chicago Bulls handed the Lakers their second consecutive loss with LeBron James back in the lineup, 146-115. James showed a bit of court rust, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals, which while solid numbers, were comparably less than his usual figures.
Then on Monday against the Orlando Magic. James had a better scoring performance with 24 points alongside Luka Doncic’s 32. However, they weren’t unable to secure the victory, falling to the Magic with a final score of 118-106.
Bayless was surprised how the Lakers lost to a couple of Play-In Tournament-bound Eastern Conference Teams. He took to X to air his rantings in all caps.
“Just pathetic Lakers. LeBron comes back and you get blown out twice by sub-.500 East teams,” Bayless said. “What happened to that narrative of ‘Best defense in the NBA’ for a month and a half??? [The] Bulls [scored] 146 in LA and now Orlando, [the] worst scoring team in the NBA, goes for 118. Just sorry.”
JUST PATHETIC, LAKERS. LEBRON COMES BACK AND YOU GET BLOWN OUT TWICE BY SUB .500 EAST TEAMS. WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT NARRATIVE OF “BEST DEFENSE IN THE NBA” FOR A MONTH AND A HALF??? BULLS SCORE 146 IN LA AND NOW ORLANDO, WORST SCORING TEAM IN NBA, GOES FOR 118. JUST SORRY.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 25, 2025
LeBron James suffers second straight loss since coming back from injury
LeBron James missed seven games after sustaining a groin injury against the Boston Celtics on March 8. During his absence, the LA Lakers struggled to rack up consistent wins. Luka Doncic’s impeccable performance to carry his new team was not enough to maintain their spot in the Western Conference.
James has since returned to action, but the Lakers still continued to lose. First, they fell to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, and then lost to the Orlando Magic on Monday in an upset. The duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for 62 points and outplayed the tandem of Doncic and James.
The 21-time All-Star racked up 24 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, while Doncic tallied 32 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and one steal in the disappointing loss.
The Lakers are next set to face the Indiana Pacers, who are currently on a five-game winning streak, on Wednesday. If the Lakers lose the matchup, chances are they will drop to fifth place in the Western Conference.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
