"Just the work I put into my craft over the years" - LeBron James on what led to him taking over in the 4th quarter in the LA Lakers' win over Sacramento Kings

LeBron James continues to carry the LA Lakers to victories at 37 years of age and in his 19th season in the league. The four-time MVP wasn’t having a good shooting night against the Sacramento Kings, but displayed his big-game skills with a dominating fourth quarter.

After scoring 14 of his 31 points in the pivotal quarter, James led the LA Lakers in keeping the Kings at bay. Despite a bad shooting night, no one at Crypto.com Arena doubted who would be making the plays in the crucial moments of the game.

When asked about his huge fourth-quarter exploits that the Lakers badly needed, here’s what LeBron James had to say (via Spectrum SportsNet):

“Just the work I put into my craft over the years. I missed a lot of really good looks early on. My teammates just kept telling me, ‘just bring us home.’ When you continue to get the confidence from your teammates, when you continue to trust the work that you put in, you live with the results, no matter what.”

The 17x All-Star was only 6-18 from the field entering the fourth period. His crucial points, especially a clutch and-1 play, were a turning point in the game. James was so pumped up by the shot that he ripped off a loud outburst of profanity.

The four-time champion also mentioned in the same interview that he wasn’t worried about the minutes that may have caused his shooting struggles. With Anthony Davis out, he has accepted the responsibility of doing more for the LA Lakers, including more playing time.

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Will the LA Lakers continue to give LeBron James major minutes at center?

LeBron James playing center has made the LA Lakers' offense more fluid. [Photo: NBA.com]

Until AD returns, head coach Frank Vogel might just have to continue playing LeBron James at the 5. He has been nothing short of spectacular in handling the man-in-the-middle duties. James' ability to read the game allows him to call out plays and defensive coverages.

The LA Lakers have also made adjustments while the 37-year-old was mostly playing center. They made a commitment to put more effort into rebounding to prevent second-chance points and extra possessions. They even had more offensive rebounds than the bigger and taller Sacramento Kings.

Dwight Howard’s minutes really counted in this game. He had 14 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in just 22 minutes. However, it was very clear that the LA Lakers were not allowing themselves to get murdered on the boards like they were against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The most important thing for the LA Lakers to consider with LeBron James playing center is still to keep him as fresh as possible. There’s a very real possibility that his shooting struggle is related to his minutes and the burden of jostling for rebounds and anchoring the interior defense.