LeBron James, fresh off the worst loss of his career, scored 25 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Detroit Pistons 133-107.
James told reporters the Lakers took the criticism to heart and showed positivity after Monday’s tough loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I thought we responded well and played better,” James said. “We gave ourselves a better chance defensively. We put out a lot of shooters that we thought could shoot outside, but we also controlled the paint. And, you know, that’s critical.”
“We just take the constructive criticism, we take it to heart and we apply it to the game.”
Of course, it’s easier to bounce back when you go up against a Detroit team that has been a doormat this season. The Pistons currently have a 2-16 record, the worst in the NBA, and Wednesday was their 15th straight loss.If the Lakers No All cylinders are firing, which can cause panic.
It’s been an inconsistent first quarter this season for the Lakers, who are 11-8 and appear to be a different team every night they take the court. There were times when they looked like real title contenders, and other times — like the loss in Philadelphia — it looked like they needed to tear the whole thing apart.
“What changes need to be made to prevent this from happening again? Well, a lot,” a frustrated James told reporters after the loss to the Sixers.
The Western Conference is more open than the top-heavy Eastern Conference, but James needs his team to heed the criticism and find consistency moving forward.