The Los Angeles Lakers figured in one of the most memorable games of the season Thursday night, albeit as the team on the receiving end of a stunning game-winning shot at the buzzer from Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey.
The Lakers had a five-point lead with under 13 seconds left in regulation back consecutive 3-pointers by Chicago, including one following a huge turnover by James, put the Bulls ahead. Lakers guard Austin Reaves scored on a layup with 3.1 seconds remaining to get the Lakers back in front. But Giddey’s miracle shot from half-court gave the Bulls the 119-117 victory at home.
Los Angeles appeared to be on its way to scoring a win in Windy City when the team entered the fourth quarter with a 16-point lead but the Bulls got hot in the fourth, scoring 44 points to just 26 by the Lakers.
“We gave up 44. No matter how many points you have, it’s not a good ingredient for success,” James said in the locker room following the loss to Chicago (h/t Spectrum SportsNet).
The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player was right in his assessment of that poor fourth quarter by the Lakers, especially on the defensive end.
LeBron James’ comment after Los Angeles Lakers loss to Bulls triggers wild fan reactions
Meanwhile, fans surely had a lot to say about James’ take.
“He gave up 9 points by himself in 15 seconds,” one fan said.
“LeBlame in the last 13 seconds : he closest to every bulls shooter,” anothe shared.
Via an X user: “Anything but accountability, if that was AD he’d be the first one to blame himself. Wish Bron was traded instead.”
From a different social media commenter: “And how many did you give up in the last ten seconds?”
“Bron my guy, but he was atrocious down the stretch,” shared one X user.
James finished the game with 17 points on 8-for-20 shooting form the floor with 12 assists and five rebounds plus a couple of steaks in 39 minutes. It was a relatively letdown performance for James, particularly near the end of the game, but he will have a chance to bounce back stronger this coming Saturday when the Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies on the road.
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