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LeBron James passed up a potential game-winning layup at the end of regulation against the Houston Rockets. James ended up passing the ball to Carmelo Anthony, who missed the shot. The LA Lakers went on to lose to the Rockets in overtime, 139-130.
In the postgame press conference, James revealed why he passed up an easy layup with just around two seconds left in the game. "The King" told reporters that he was off-balance after driving into the lane and felt Anthony had a better look to win the game.
"On the drive, I had an angle, for sure. And then David Nwaba came over. And I took a lone one-two step and ended up behind the backboard. I was a little bit off-balance. And I could've forced a reverse layup, but I wasn't in the position to feel like I could have gotten a great look. I could have got a decent look, and I feel like Melo's look was a lot better than mine. So, it's literally that simple," James said.
The score was tied at 120 with less than a minute remaining. LeBron James had the first chance to win the game, but missed an off-balanced shot with 17 seconds left. After the ball was knocked out of bounds by the Rockets, James had another opportunity to get the win.
The King drove in and drew a couple of defenders. He was under the backboard and could have taken the shot, but passed ito Carmelo. As James mentioned, he was a little off-balance and could have tried to make the tough layup.
Nevertheless, it was a lose-lose situation for LeBron James at that point. If he missed the tough layup, his critics will say he should have passed the ball.
LeBron James, LA Lakers hit rock bottom in loss to the Houston Rockets
LeBron James and the LA Lakers appear to have hit rock bottom following their 139-130 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. The Lakers' defense was non-existent in overtime, allowing 19 points to the lowly Rockets that had the worst record in the NBA.
It was the lowest point of the season for the Lakers as they are now nine games below .500. They are still in the play-in position at number nine, but they have the hardest remaining schedule in the league. The OKC Thunder are the remaining team in their schedule that's not vying for a playoff or play-in spot.
In the loss to the Rockets, James struggled from the field. He shot just 9-for-26 from the field, finishing with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. The Lakers' next four games are against the Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors.
