LeBron James' missed buzzer-beater prices Lakers in loss to Path Blazers as 'Dame Dolla' shines

Muricas News  — 

LeBron James missed a buzzer-beater to tie the sport because the Los Angeles Lakers misplaced 106-104 to the Portland Path Blazers, taking the LA staff’s season document to 0-3.

It was one other night time to overlook for Russell Westbrook, who adopted up on his two-point haul in opposition to the LA Clippers on Thursday with 10 factors and two missed pictures within the final seconds of Sunday’s recreation.

Each missed factors had been instantly punished by an excellent Damian Lillard, whose three-pointers took the sport away from the Lakers.

James, who ended the night time with 31 factors, eight assists, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks refused to criticize his teammate.

“I’m not up right here to do this,” James stated after the sport. “[Westbrook] acquired some attractiveness and wasn’t capable of knock them down. Defensively, we couldn’t get a number of stops in a row.”

After going up 10-2, the Lakers rapidly surrendered management of the sport, ending the primary quarter behind by eight factors.

Regardless of a powerful defensive displaying, the Lakers had been impotent from exterior the paint, ending the primary half with 1-16 from three-point vary and down 55-48.

They pulled it again within the third quarter to go up 78-83 because of Anthony Davis who dominated the paint, scoring 10 factors.

However the Lakers couldn't preserve a maintain of their lead. Within the remaining 5 minutes the Path Blazers erased an eight-point hole to come back out on prime with Lillard, who dropped a recreation excessive 41 factors, punishing each Lakers mistake to attain 12 within the remaining quarter.

After his step-back three-pointer put the Path Blazers up by two, James responded with a straightforward dunk. However he was instantly overwhelmed by Jerami Grant, who turned James and beat Davis along with his lay-up to place the Path Blazers 104-106.

James tried a step-back of his personal, however with Lillard blocking nicely, he missed the decisive two-pointer.

Regardless of the irritating end result, James had one other record-breaking night time as he tied Karl Malone for probably the most 20-point video games within the NBA at 1,134.

However the night time was all about Lillard, who put up consecutive 41-point video games and prolonged the Path Blazers’ profitable begin to three video games.

Lillard is averaging 34 factors, making 47.1% of his pictures and 36.4% from three-point vary.

“Clearly, Dame is again and he’s just about placing the league on discover,” stated Portland coach Chauncey Billups after the match. “Dame was Dame down the stretch.”

Regardless of dropping, the sport confirmed an improved efficiency from the Lakers who're attempting to overlook the woes of final season through which they did not make playoffs.

Davis was almost unstoppable within the paint, James was breaking extra data and their protection was one of the best it has been in a very long time.

It's exterior the paint the place they're let down, and Westbrook is just not the one one failing from vary. From three video games, the staff is averaging 21.2% from three-point vary and hit solely six from 33 makes an attempt in opposition to the Path Blazers.

The Lakers’ robust begin to the season continues as they journey to Denver to tackle the Nuggets who beat the Warriors and appear like top-of-the-line groups within the West.