The Lakers’ struggles appear to have lastly cracked LeBron James.
Throughout Monday’s 114-103 loss to the Raptors, James had two separate on-court outbursts — one which led to F-bombs and one other through which he viciously spiked the ball at Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
First, James gave his teammates a fiery earful within the second quarter when LA gave up an offensive rebound and he was referred to as for a foul. He then grabbed the ball and slammed it down exhausting on the courtroom, whereas letting F-bombs fly.
That got here after Toronto led LA by 24 factors within the first quarter.
James, who dropped 30 factors in 40 minutes, was nonetheless fired up within the second half — and Barnes bought the brunt of it.
Within the third quarter, the 2 gamers had been racing for a rebound when James grabbed the ball and jumped out of bounds. He then tried to throw the ball off Barnes to get LA possession, and spiked the ball proper on the rookie’s face whereas he was on the ground.
The Lakers had been trailing the Raptors 65-45 on the time.
James — who continues play at an elite degree, and put up 50 factors final Friday in a win over the Wizards — seems to be fed up with LA’s longstanding struggles. The 37-year-old performed 40 minutes towards Toronto on Monday, after he was initially a game-time determination as a result of lingering knee soreness.
The Lakers had been on a second evening of a back-to-back following a 140-111 loss to the Suns in Phoenix, the place James performed half-hour.
The Lakers are combating for a spot within the play-in match, which begins on April 12.
The ninth-seeded Lakers (29-39) play the No. 7 Timberwolves (40-30) in Minnesota on Wednesday. If the playoffs started at the moment, each groups could be within the play-in spherical.
