On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers competed hard against the Dallas Mavericks, only to flame out in crunch time and lose 109-104.
LeBron James continues to put up unreal numbers at age 37, but he has been logging heavy minutes while continuing to deal with knee pain.
Still, he insists he won’t give up on himself or his team until the season is over.
Via ESPN:
“We still have games to play. Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance. So that’s my confidence.”
L.A. has lost 10 of its last 13 games, and it currently sits in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 27-34 record. It has a two-game cushion over the 10th-place New Orleans Pelicans, but that cushion is dwindling.
On Tuesday, the Lakers had a six-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but James faltered down the stretch, committing two turnovers and missing multiple shots down the stretch.
Since coming to the Lakers in 2018, many have suggested that he sit out games periodically for “load management” as a concession to the insane mileage he has accumulated over the years. But he has resisted that advice and insisted on playing every game as long as he’s healthy.
He admits he’s tired, but he and his teammates still feel they have a chance to rectify their season.
Via ESPN:
“Obviously, at the end of the day, we got to come in here and win ballgames, and we got to play better. But as long as we’ve got more games to play, we should have a chance. So, that’s my confidence. I hate losing. I feel like poop right now. But tomorrow is a new day, and I’m going to be prepared and ready for the [Los Angeles] Clippers on Thursday. That’s just — that’s my mindset. That’s just who I am.”
The Lakers have one of the toughest schedules in the NBA for the remainder of the season – and that’s with superstar big man Anthony Davis sidelined for the next several weeks with a sprained foot.
