LeBron James Fumbles the Ball and Misses Layup That Costs Lakers Win

In the Michael Jordan versus LeBron James debates, it’s been stated many times that James can’t be the type of clutch player Jordan was. After the last Lakers playoff game, some say the argument is very valid.

According to CBS Sports, in the Lakers’ defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, James uncharacteristically missed several shots that may have led his team to a much-needed victory to tie the series. However, due to him missing those potential six points, the Lakers lost by five points, the final score of 108-103.

The second game of the Western Conference finals was extremely close, and the all-time leading scorer couldn’t seem to make the much-needed winning shots. Although the home team is traditionally expected to win, the Lakers had a chance to steal the win from the Nuggets to go back to LA with the possibility of going up 2-1 at their home arena.

With less than nine minutes remaining in the first half, James was able to pass by two Denver players for what should have been an uncontested layup. It was uncontested but didn’t make it into the basket. Instead, it hit the front of the rim and rebounded back in a Nugget player’s hands. About a minute later, he had another scoring opportunity, but on the way to the basket, he fumbled the ball, lost control, and it went out of bounds, giving the ball back to Denver yet again.

Another noteworthy moment was with 26.1 seconds remaining in the game, and the Lakers were down by four points. James was able to steal the ball with another opportunity to have a chance at victory. As he headed for the basket, he, unfortunately, missed his layup.

After the game, James told reporters, “Obviously, it sucks that ball squirted out of my hand like that. Maybe it hit my knee or whatever.”

Bad games happen, but the good news is that the Lakers have another opportunity to gain a victory this weekend on May 20, when they are back home at Crypto.com Arena.