Lebron James Needs Sidekicks Back To Help Lakers Hold Off Rockets

Welcome to this week’s Lakers newsletter, wherever nan brooms are going backmost successful nan closet.

The Lakers squandered their first playoff expanse since 2010, but are still 1 triumph distant from their first playoff bid triumph of nan JJ Redick era.

Three weeks ago, moreover this civilized triumph of a 3-1 lead seemed retired of reach. Now really grabbing a spot successful nan convention semifinals could return much than 1 super-human performance.

Help needed

The forceful drives turned into desperation jumpers. The ascendant dunks became limp layups that dribbled disconnected nan rim.

LeBron James carried nan Lakers to a historically insurmountable 3-0 lead successful nan best-of-seven first-round bid against nan Houston Rockets. But pinch a chance to clinch nan bid Sunday, he showed conscionable really overmuch nan Lakers request personification other to thief transportation nan squad crossed nan decorativeness line.

James had his worst shooting crippled of nan season, settling for 10 points connected two-of-nine shooting. The 9 field-goal attempts he took were tied for nan fewest he’s taken successful a playoff game. He didn’t widen his streak of consecutive playoff games pinch double-digit scoring to 144 until nan 4th quarter.

Just aft accepting a third-option domiciled down Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, James was thrust backmost into nan apical spot erstwhile nan prima guards were injured April 2. The NBA’s all-time starring scorer had nary problem putting connected his Superman cape again. He started taking — and making — much shots than he had successful months. His usage complaint spiked.

But pinch nan shot backmost successful his hands more, James had 8 turnovers successful each of nan past 2 games. The turnovers, 24 full by nan Lakers connected Sunday, were their “kryptonite,” James said.

The Lakers’ deficiency of defender play is becoming a glaring weakness.

“That’s nan biggest situation we person is conscionable nan ballhandling and downhill drivers, not having those guys,” Redick said.

Doncic and Reaves are progressing successful their returns. Just 3 weeks aft his oblique injury, Reaves was questionable for Games 3 and 4. He moreover warmed up earlier nan games. But his timeline for return is still indefinite.

Considering nan Lakers’ 3-0 commencement to nan series, it mightiness beryllium safe to deliberation nan squad would conscionable hold until nan convention semifinals for Reaves’ return. Redick said it’s adjacent to see each factors erstwhile deciding erstwhile to bring Reaves back. But aft a agelong speech pinch nan defender Saturday, Redick said nan astir important adaptable is nan player’s confidence.

“That’s ever nan last hurdle coming backmost from an injury,” Redick said, “is nan psychological constituent of it.”

Doncic, hampered by a balky hamstring, is ramping up, but is still not arsenic adjacent arsenic Reaves.

The dream of getting their 2 astir important players backmost was “a carrot” for nan Lakers to support extending their season, Redick said. A two-day break betwixt games could beryllium conscionable arsenic important of a lifeline.

The 1 time of remainder betwixt Games 3 and 4 was nan shortest of nan bid truthful far. The Lakers, led by 41-year-old James and 32-year-old Marcus Smart, looked particularly hopeless for nan other downtime.

Smart was wearing inflatable compression boots connected some legs successful nan locker room earlier nan game. Lakers were dropping passes for illustration they were loose java plans pinch personification who lives crossed town.

Meanwhile nan 23-year-old Alperen Sengun was doing rotation moves successful transition, finishing done interaction and flexing toward nan crowd successful nan 3rd 4th pinch nan Rockets up by much than 20.

Smart insisted nan mistakes were mental. They looked for illustration beingness fatigue manifesting arsenic intelligence blunders.

“It’s thing we gotta cleanable up,” said Smart, who had 4 turnovers Sunday. “We cognize it, we understand it.”

The Lakers person clip to hole it. The two-day break betwixt Games 4 and 5 will beryllium nan past specified break of this bid if nan Lakers fto this agelong on.

Games successful reflector are person than they appear

This bid is 30 inexplicable seconds distant from being 2-2.

That critical agelong of Game 3 swung nan Lakers’ postseason.

NBA teams that person a 3-0 lead successful a best-of-seven playoff bid are 159-0. Since 1984 – erstwhile nan NBA expanded its playoffs to 16 teams – teams pinch home-court advantage successful nan existent bid format are 125-42. Had that comeback ne'er materialized, nan Lakers would still person nan precocious manus successful this bid but they surely wouldn’t beryllium invincible.

In a tighter-than-it-appears series, nan Lakers person their 3-1 lead acknowledgment to a tally of basking shooting.

They were already nan NBA’s astir businesslike shooting team, but nan early portion of nan playoff occurrence came from a abrupt uptick successful three-point shooting. The Lakers’ 40.8% three-point shooting done nan first 4 games was 5.1 percent points amended than their regular-season mark. On nan different hand, nan Rockets are shooting 5.1 percent points worse than their regular-season rate.

The Lakers identified turnovers and limiting violative rebounds arsenic nan 2 astir important items against nan Rockets. They’ve struggled connected both. The Lakers averaged 20 turnovers per crippled successful nan first 4 games and gave up 16.8 violative rebounds. The Rockets’ 39% violative rebounding complaint is almost identical to their league-leading 38.8% from nan regular season.

The Lakers person turned nan shot complete connected 20.9% of their possessions, nan highest turnover complaint successful nan playoffs.

The Rockets person scored 21.5 points per crippled disconnected nan Lakers’ turnovers, nan second-most of immoderate squad successful nan playoffs. Only Oklahoma City — nan squad that’s waiting for nan victor of this bid — has scored much points disconnected turnovers successful nan playoffs.

On tap

Wednesday vs. Rockets, 7 p.m.

The Lakers tin clinch nan bid astatine location and gain other remainder days earlier facing nan Oklahoma City Thunder successful nan convention semifinals. The Thunder vanished a expanse of nan No. 8 seeded Phoenix Suns successful nan first information Monday.

Friday astatine Rockets, 6:30 p.m. (if necessary)

If this crippled is necessary, it will beryllium particularly difficult to triumph for nan Lakers. Both teams will person to recreation from L.A. to Houston and we conscionable watched what happens erstwhile nan shorthanded Lakers play connected 1 time of remainder successful nan playoffs.

Sunday vs. Rockets, TBD (Game 7, if necessary)

The Rockets are trying to go nan 5th squad successful NBA history to unit a Game 7 aft trailing 3-0 successful a best-of-seven series. The 2023 Celtics were nan past squad to moreover a bid aft a three-game deficit. Smart’s Celtics mislaid Game 7 of nan Eastern Conference finals to nan Miami Heat.

Status report

Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain)

Approaching nan four-week mark, Doncic is ramping up his on-court work. On Sunday, he progressed to much activity alternatively of standstill shooting. He is still retired indefinitely.

Austin Reaves (left oblique musculus strain)

Reaves’ return has been faster than galore expected. He was questionable for Games 3 and 4, a speedy three-week turnaround from his first wounded connected April 2.

Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain)

After missing Game 1 pinch a knee bruise, Durant sprained his ankle successful nan 4th fourth of Game 2 and missed nan adjacent 2 games. Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Sunday symptom and constricted scope of mobility because of a bony bruise successful Durant’s ankle are keeping him sidelined, but there’s a chance he returns this series.

Favorite point I ate this week

Seafood boil pinch nan Combo No. 4 (crawfish, snowcrab, shrimp, maize and potato) astatine Crawfish Cafe successful Houston.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

This was a culinary bucket database point for me: Viet cajun nutrient successful Houston.

At Crawfish Cafe, you take your seafood operation for a delicious, and somewhat messy, seafood boil. I went for a operation of crawfish, shrimp and snowfall crab tossed successful a operation of Viet cajun and Thai basil sauces. But location are much than a half-dozen condiment choices, truthful pinch that galore options near to explore, possibly I wouldn’t beryllium huffy if this bid returns to Houston.

In lawsuit you missed it

Plaschke: No sweep, large problem for Lakers aft Game 4 nonaccomplishment to Rockets

Even nan Rockets thought Deandre Ayton’s arguable ejection was ‘soft’

Turnover-plagued Lakers neglect to propulsion disconnected expanse successful Game 4 nonaccomplishment to Rockets

‘It keeps getting amended and better.’ Bronny James settling into Lakers playoff role

Plaschke: Believe yet? Lakers time off nary uncertainty successful stunning comeback triumph complete Rockets

LeBron James and Lakers showcase their clutch-time prowess successful Game 3 win

Rare Kobe Bryant trading paper ‘at nan apical of each wish list’ sells for grounds sum

Swanson: Lakers’ JJ Redick makes a lawsuit that he’s nan correct coach for nan playoffs

Until adjacent time...

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