SAS apologizes to King James for predicting that the Clippers will humble the LA Lakers.
On Wednesday night, it appeared that the LA Lakers were destined for another embarrassing defeat at the hands of their city rivals, the LA Clippers, as they found themselves trailing by 21 points at the start of the fourth quarter. However, LeBron James seized control of the game, scoring five 3-pointers and single-handedly outscoring the entire Clippers team 19-16 to lead the Purple and Gold to a dramatic 116-112 win.
The four-time MVP’s remarkable performance led Stephen A. Smith to apologize for underestimating the potential of the Purple and Gold and realizing the foolishness of counting out a team that ‘King James’ is on.
“I owe LeBron James an apology, I just do… because look at what I said the other day to Shannon Sharpe, ‘Are you ready for this? Clippers gonna bust their a** tomorrow night. I’m just saying… Tomorrow night, the Clippers gonna get at them,'” Smith said. “It’s true. I said it. Now, in my defense I thought Paul George would be playing. Paul George not being out there, I mean, had something to do, but on this particular morning, LeBron James was sensational.”
Stephen A. applauds how LeBron took over
While the 56-year-old ESPN analyst did acknowledge the impact of the Clippers’ star players in the Lakers’ resurgence, highlighting James Harden’s turnovers in clutch plays and Kawhi Leonard’s reluctance to close the game, Stephen A. ultimately showered LeBron with the praise he deserved for not just scoring 19 points but even assisting for 11 other points in that final period.
“To watch him, Windy, in that fourth quarter, to watch him drilling those threes, to know he’s in his 21st season, he’s 39 years of age,” Smith added. “You know, I’m MJ all day, every day. I mean, but to see this brother do what he did last night…. It didn’t matter who you put in front of LeBron – when it counted most, he was absolutely spectacular…. He was something special last night.”
Although the win is impressive, the Lakers need to stop relying on LeBron
Despite LeBron’s ability to perform consistently at a high level, even at age 39, Coach Darvin Ham’s team must seek to lessen their dependence on him in every high-stakes game if they are to make a legitimate case to acquire a direct playoff berth this season.
Their following 8-game schedule sees them battle against Sacramento Kings twice and matchups against Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, OKC Thunder, and Golden State Warriors once. With a 2-game swing on the line in each of these games, the Lakers must ensure they have all hands on deck to make the most of this opportunity.
