"Bottom line, DeRozan outplayed LeBron" - Skip Bayless criticizes LeBron James yet again as the LA Lakers succumb to another excruciating loss

LeBron James and the undermanned LA Lakers lost a close game 115-110 to DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls on the road. The contest was tight for most of the time until it was decided in the final seconds in regulation.

The Lakers were undone by the clutch plays of DeRozan, who scored 19 of his 38 points in the pivotal quarter. A few minutes after the game ended, known LeBron James critic and sports analyst Skip Bayless took another shot at the four-time MVP.

Here’s Bayless’ short and very direct tweet to summarize what happened in the game:

“Bottom line, DeRozan outplayed LeBron.”

The LA Lakers superstar had a monster game, finishing with 31 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 39 minutes of game time. LeBron James also anchored the Lakers' defense while playing center, particularly in the closing stages of the game.

But to Skip Bayless’ credit, it was DeMar DeRozan who played head and shoulders above everyone else when the game mattered the most.

The former All-Star led the Chicago Bulls with a game-high 38 points, four rebounds, six assists and a steal. And just like what he has been doing all season long, he carried the Bulls on his back. The Lakers knew the Bulls were going to DeRozan, but they just could not stop him.

What was even more impressive was the fact that DeMar Derozan has not played a game for two weeks. He played as if he had not missed any time off from basketball. "Jordanesque" perfectly describes his latest performance.

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Did LeBron James and the LA Lakers make the right decision choosing Russell Westbrook over DeMar DeRozan?

DeMar DeRozan could have been teammates with LeBron James this season instead of Russell Westbrook. [Photo: San Antonio Express-News]

Based on reports coming out in the offseason, DeMar DeRozan was supposedly headed to the LA Lakers. Some reports also mentioned that he even went to LeBron James’ house to discuss how teaming up could work.

All those possibilities went down the drain when the Lakers decided to acquire Russell Westbrook via trade.

Westbrook had a terrible start to the season, which only resulted in more criticism towards Rob Pelinka and LeBron James. The Lakers could not seem to figure out when and how to use the triple-double king. James being in and out of the lineup didn’t help much either.

Tongues were wagging, especially when Westbrook couldn’t lead the team in James’ absence. Most notable in those instances were the humiliating losses to the OKC Thunder.

Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan blossomed with the Chicago Bulls. He has been a consistent part of the MVP conversation since the season started. Chicago is a tough outfit mainly because of DeRozan’s partnership with another deadly player in Zach LaVine.

It is also interesting to note that DeRozan’s best games this season happened against LeBron James, Westbrook and the Lakers. Knowing how competitive these players are, there has to be something behind these performances that adds fuel to the fire.

The season is long, so it’s still uncertain if the LA Lakers and LeBron James made the right call to get Westbrook instead of DeRozan. After a quarter of the season is gone though, the Laker nation will only rue another “what could have been” after DeRozan’s spectacular display.