The Los Angeles Lakers lost Heartbreaker in their final two seconds with the Chicago Bulls.
A crazy game fell between the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers.
Josh Giddey sealed it off with an unlikely half-court buzzer beater, a shot he won in the first game of his NBA career.
The Lakers’ scramble in the final seconds was caused by sales from the unfortunate LeBron James.
It showed how fast the NBA can spin. Just 24 hours ago, LeBron James was celebrating a dramatic buzzer beater to defeat the Indiana Pacers.
LeBron James’ mistake was just one factor in the loss. But that was also something his critics wanted to see.
This week, the superstar was hit with Stephen A. Smith, and even attracted NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s light corn.
Naturally, Stephen A. Smith mentioned LeBron James’ mistakes against the Bulls when discussing the Lakers on his YouTube channel.
But he wasn’t stuck with it, but accepting error was not a feature of the four-time superstar.
Instead, he pointed his finger at new teammate Luka Donsic due to the Lakers’ recent defensive lapse, claiming this was a consistent issue for the Lakers.
Smith said:
“LeBron may have had a brain fart in Chicago last night, but I know that’s not something he’s customary to do. It happens.
“Luka is blown away, Luka is not defended. Luka is never seen in good shape. It’s a completely different matter, a completely different animal.
“That’s something we all need to pay attention to.”
Donsic admits he is still learning to play with his new teammates, and points out that building chemistry takes much longer than a week.
Groaning about his defense and fitness was some of the reasons Dallas Maverick leaked to the media saying he wanted to trade him. Was there some truth in it, or is Stephen A. Smith leaning against the lazy ratios to beat a new target?
The Lakers are 1-4 in their last five games. They are 44-26 and then face the Memphis Grizzlies.
Currently, the Lakers’ record is fourth in the West, but with 41 wins, the Warriors and Timberwolves are seventh and eighth, so if the Lakers don’t get another win, there’s risk first.
Kendrick Perkins has expressed his fear that LeBron James is only 70% healthy, and certainly has been a bit out of his game since returning from his injury.
This adds to the pressure for Luka Donsic to step up as LeBron’s defense was really picked up before his injury. But when he’s not firing on all cylinders, it increases Donsic’s spotlight at both ends of the floor.