The LA Lakers have been hit by multiple injuries ahead of the postseason, with key players including Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined. As a result, LeBron James has taken on greater responsibility and has reportedly shifted into playoff mode, even canceling his golf plans to prepare for the postseason.
James’ former teammate J.R. Smith opened up about Bron locking in for the Lakers during an interview with Yahoo Sports, highlighting how the forward canceled their golf session to dedicate his time to an injury-ridden Lakers roster.
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“Its funny he (Bron) texted the group chat because it was in Dallas, when he was playing and we were supossed to play golf,” Smith said. “He’s like, ‘Man, I can’t play golf. I’ve got too much on my shoulders right now. If this was five years ago I would definitely play.'”
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Smith continued to discuss the Lakers’ situation, claiming he was looking forward to seeing how they handled their injury woes.
“Its tough man,” Smith continued. “Its always next man up mentality so I am excited to see who can possibly stand up for them.”
The Lakers were handed a double injury blow following their 139–96 loss to the OKC Thunder last Thursday. Luka Doncic suffered a hamstring injury during the game, while Austin Reaves was ruled out with a left oblique muscle strain after the matchup.
With two of their highest scorers now out for the early stages of the playoffs, the Lakers will rely on LeBron James to lead the way.
However, the team is yet to pick up a win since losing their backcourt duo, as James hopes to turn things around for the franchise in the coming games.
LeBron James pinpoints key adjustment needed to win amid injury woes
LeBron James led the Lakers from the front on Sunday as they succumbed to a 134–128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. In their first game without Doncic and Reaves, Los Angeles struggled with creativity as they recorded back-to-back losses for the first time since February.
In the postgame interview, James opened up about his team’s performance, highlighting a key adjustment they must make to win amid their injury woes.
“I thought defensively we had some breakdowns,” James said. “I think especially in the first half, we gave too many transition points. And then we allowed a lot of their key guys to get to their spots. We can’t do that, especially short-handed.”
James recorded 30 points and 15 assits during the loss and will need the support of his teammates if they are to make a late playoff push.
Edited by Arian Kashyap
