LeBron James Criticizes Lakers’ Lack of Concern in Defeat to Dillon Brooks and the Rockets.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James criticized his team for a lack of commitment during a crucial stretch in the first quarter that allowed the Houston Rockets to seize control and secure a 135-119 victory on Monday night.
With 2:32 remaining in the first quarter, the Lakers were trailing 30-29. However, by the end of the quarter, the Rockets had extended their lead by 11 points due to a rapid offensive surge.
James expressed his frustration to reporters after the game, stating, “The first half was lost in the last two-and-a-half minutes of the first quarter. We didn’t get back in transition and they ran out on us. … We just didn’t get back, didn’t have a sense of care factor. We didn’t have a care factor in those last two-and-a-half minutes.”
Despite notable performances from James, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell, each scoring 23 points, the Lakers allowed the Rockets to shoot 53.1 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 56-35.
Rockets’ wing Dillon Brooks not only contributed 17 points but also managed to provoke multiple Lakers players. Jarred Vanderbilt was ejected in the second quarter after a confrontation with Brooks, and in the fourth quarter, James was involved in a hard foul by Brooks, resulting in a flagrant 1.
James, when asked about Brooks after the game, responded with a brief “Next question.” However, both Davis and head coach Darvin Ham were more direct in their criticism. Davis believed Brooks should have been ejected for his interactions with Vanderbilt and his hit on James, emphasizing that “no man is going to talk towards another man the way he was talking to Vando.”
Ham, pointing to the fouls on Vanderbilt and James, expressed concern about plays that put players at risk of injury and cited Brooks’ actions as potentially dangerous.
