LeBron James takes full responsibility for costing the Los Angeles Lakers a vital win in the latter stages of the 2024/25 NBA season after the four-time champion’s rookie mistake via a cheap turnover gave the Chicago Bulls the ball to steal a 119-117 win.
The Lakers seemed poised for a 45th win to keep the pressure on the Denver Nuggets for the third seed in the Western Conference but collapsed at the United Center on March 27 to find themselves on a level record with the Memphis Grizzlies.
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And it was a memorable collapse too. The side led 91-75 going into the fourth quarter but found themselves unable to handle the onslaught of Josh Giddey and the other Bulls stars.
The momentum swung violently towards Chicago and the Lakers were too stunned to respond, culminating in a lazy moment from LeBron when he tried to get the ball back in play and instead handed it directly to the Bulls to draw level at 115-all.
“We put ourselves in a position to win,” James said after the game. “I gave up a lot of threes in the fourth quarter. We still put ourselves in a position to win, horrible turnover by myself.
“That means miscommunication. AR [Austin Reaves] still had a big bucket trying to save us. And then they tip us off and go and make some game-winner from half-court.”
How did the Lakers manage to lose?
Once the game was level at 115-each after Giddey‘s steal, which he laid off to Coby White to nail a three pointer to take the lead of the game, the Lakers momentarily responded with a lay-up.
Now at 117-116 with seconds left, all Los Angeles had to do was cling on but they probed unable to do so with Giddey crushing a half-court shot with under a second left before the final buzzer.
The Lakers will now look to respond against the Grizzlies on March 29 in what is a big game for both sides and their NBA Playoffs aspirations, with nine games remaining in the regular season.