After winning his fourth championship inside the Bubble, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers never came close to another ring in the years after. With the Purple and Gold projected to land in the Play-In Tournament, the King has to focus on what will get them through the West in the coming weeks.
James exemplified that thought by handling the Lakers’ business with the Indiana Pacers in a recent 150-145 win. In that game, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer posted 26 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists. Anthony Davis added 36 points and 16 rebounds, Austin Reaves pitched in 25 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie made 26 points of his own.
The Pacers, on the other hand, had another off-night from Tyrese Haliburton when he posted 12 points on 38 percent shooting from the field, six rebounds, and 10 assists. Pascal Siakam, meanwhile, had a stellar showing by dropping 36 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.
The win helped Los Angeles retain its hold on the ninth seed with 39 wins and 32 losses. Indiana is still in sixth place with a 40-32 record in the Eastern Conference.
LeBron James Reveals Thoughts About Los Angeles Lakers’ Playoff Chances
After the game, James was interviewed by reporters about how the Lakers are doing with the playoffs looming near. In a video posted by Dave McMenamin on X:
The Lakers are 9th in the West with 11 games remaining – 3 games out of No. 6 to avoid the play-in and 3 1/2 game up on No. 11. LeBron James says he has tried to focus on the day to day challenge versus his team’s spot in the standings pic.twitter.com/WoOiLUwbVM
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 25, 2024
At this point in time, James is averaging 25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this season. At his age and with the numbers he’s putting up, there’s no question the four-time NBA champion is doing everything he can to win.
With less than a month to go before the regular season ends, the Lakers are racing against time to grab a ticket to the playoffs. It remains to be seen whether they can avoid the Play-In Tournament, participate in it, or miss the postseason entirely.
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