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Dave McMenamin
Multiple Authors
HOUSTON — LeBron James shouldered the blame for the Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-96 loss in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Sunday after he racked up nearly as many turnovers (eight), as he did points (10) in the blowout.
“It started with me, obviously,” James said after the Rockets notched their first win of the series to make it 3-1 heading into Wednesday’s Game 5 (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Los Angeles. “My turnovers were unacceptable.”
L.A. trailed by nine points at halftime but was blitzed by Houston 34-18 in the third quarter as James committed four of his turnovers in the period and shot 0-for-3 from the field. For the game, he was 2-for-9 (22.2%) and didn’t reach double-digit points until a meaningless layup with 8:36 left in the fourth quarter cut the Rockets’ lead to 24.
By that point, the game was long out of reach, with the Lakers having lost the one player who was having a strong night, Deandre Ayton, to an ejection midway through the third quarter.
Ayton was assessed a flagrant foul 2 for striking Rockets big man Alperen Sengun in the side of the head with his forearm with 5:41 left in the third. The call was upgraded from a common foul after a video review, a decision that perplexed members of both teams after the game.
“We both are sweaty guys,” Ayton said. “[My arm] just slipped off his shoulder. … I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or who plays like that.”
Added James: “I know what I saw. … I think he was bracing for Sengun on the post up, [his] elbow [was] getting ready for the physical contact and then you see it, his arm slipped going up and then hit him in the head.”
Even Sengun, who was one of five Houston starters in double figures with 19 points and 13 rebounds, helping to make up for the absence of Kevin Durant who sat out because of a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, disagreed.
“I don’t want to make the officials crazy, but I mean, I didn’t expect them to eject him to be honest,” Sengun said. “I think it was a little bit soft. … I guess it is what it is, they called it. I’m glad they called it. So, we go from there.”
The officials called five more technical fouls after that: three on the Lakers (Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, Adou Thiero) and two on the Rockets (Josh Okogie, Aaron Holiday). Thiero, a rookie, and Holiday both received one-tech ejections with 1:11 remaining in the game for jawing at each other.
“That was uncalled for and it made no sense,” James said. “I think that’s the first time he’s ever been thrown out of a game in his life. I don’t think that was warranted.”
In the locker room after the game, Lakers star Luka Doncic told Thiero he would pay whatever fine the NBA imposes for the infraction. After the final buzzer, the trash talk continued between both teams at center court. Several Lakers players told ESPN that Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate was taunting their team, using curse words to name call, and invited the 6-foot-10, 240-pound Kleber to fight him.
“Hilarious,” Lakers guard Marcus Smart deadpanned when asked about the back-and-forth. “Very hilarious.”
Smart, who had averaged 20.3 points on 52.9% shooting through the Lakers’ 3-0 start to the series, scored only nine on 3-for-8 shooting in Game 4. Luke Kennard, who averaged 21.3 points on 55.3% to start the series, scored just seven on 3-for-8 shooting.
“Defense wasn’t our problem tonight,” James said. “It was our offense.”
Austin Reaves, who sat again because of his Grade 2 left oblique strain despite being listed as questionable for the second straight game, could certainly help organize the Lakers’ offense.
“That’s the biggest challenge we have is just the ballhandling and downhill drivers, not having those guys,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the absences of Reaves and Doncic.
As poorly as the Lakers played Sunday, they remain one win away from advancing to the second round and a potential matchup with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who lead their series against the Phoenix Suns 3-0.
“I’m licking my chops,” Ayton said of Game 5. “We just got to try to end this at home. But I love the intensity. I love the fight I see in the guys in the Rockets. I can’t wait to see them.”
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