LeBron James nearly ended the clash with the Denver Nuggets with a triple-double, but the Los Angeles Lakers All-Star registered one of his worst performances in the purple and gold jersey on Wednesday, contributing to a 110-99 loss.
James was unusually careless with the ball as he committed eight turnovers against the Nuggets — tied for the most in a single game since the four-time NBA champion moved to L.A. The Wednesday loss marked only the sixth time the 37-year-old has had eight turnovers in a game as a Laker.
James ended the matchup with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, shooting a poor 38.1% from the field and 25% from downtown. After the loss, the 20th-year veteran took responsibility for his turnovers and their impact on L.A.’s offense, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Well, we had some turnovers to cool. I mean, I was the byproduct of that. I mean, I had some unforced turnovers today, just trying to make the right play but not being aggressive enough. You know, I’m forcing a lot of things. But we’ve got to make some shots.
“I wasn’t aggressive enough on a lot of my turnovers. I was coming off a lot of screens, looking to pass and get guys involved. And I wasn’t aggressive enough and there was some careless turnovers on my part.”
When asked whether he also needs to be more aggressive when looking to score, James simply said: “Yes.”
The Lakers again struggled to get buckets, shooting 44.4% from the field and 26.7% for 3 against the Nuggets. The Purple and Gold are now 0-4, opening the season with four straight losses only for the fourth time in franchise history.
Previously, L.A. started with a 0-4 record in back-to-back campaigns during the “Baby Lakers” period between 2014-2016. The other 0-4 start dates back to 1957-58 in the post-George Mikan era.
In those three seasons, the Lakers ended up with no more than 21 wins.
Patrick Beverley preaches patience as Lakers work on improving offense
Before the loss to the Nuggets, Patrick Beverley addressed Lakers fans in the latest episode of his new podcast, asking them for patience as L.A. tries to improve its offense.
“Lakers Nation, please be patient with us a little bit,” Beverley said. “I understand you guys want answers, you want things right now. And we’re trying, we have the best defense — that’s something to be excited about.
“Championships are won on defense. Offense will come, just stay patient, please.”
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