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LOS ANGELES — As bleak as issues may appear for the Lakers after Tuesday’s 109-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks — the 10th defeat within the Lakers’ previous 13 video games — dropped Los Angeles simply two video games away from falling out of the play-in event altogether, LeBron James insisted he will not quit on the season.
“We nonetheless have video games to play,” he mentioned after the Mavs completed on a 15-Four run within the last 7½ minutes of the fourth quarter to win it. “Till you stomp me out, minimize my head off, bury me 12 ft below, then I received an opportunity. In order that’s my confidence.”
James, who has missed 17 video games this season due to numerous accidents and most just lately sat out 5 video games from late January by early February with swelling in his left knee, has no plans to close his season down at any level, sources near James instructed ESPN. James is dedicated to play out the season, wherever it goes.
In James’ first season with the Lakers in 2018-19, he sat out 9 of L.A.’s last 14 video games — together with the final six straight — after lacking a good portion of the season previous to that due to a groin harm.
Simply earlier than final month’s All-Star break, James was requested in regards to the standing of his knee and mentioned that he’ll want extra time to get again to 100 p.c.
“The one manner it will be again to full energy is with relaxation,” he mentioned. “And I haven’t got the posh of getting relaxation. So it will wait ’til the offseason.”
The Lakers had been coming off maybe the worst lack of the season on Sunday after they had been booed off the court by the home crowd en path to a 28-point loss to a New Orleans Pelicans crew that’s chasing them within the standings. L.A. appeared higher towards Dallas, however a number of of the Lakers’ persistent issues had been there.
They fell down by as many as 21 factors within the first half, a theme of theirs, and Russell Westbrook struggled mightily, taking pictures 5-for-17 from the sphere. Westbrook’s woes, after all, have plagued the crew since coaching camp.
“Obtained to be higher general,” Westbrook mentioned of his play. “What I am doing proper now ain’t adequate. It ain’t adequate.”
Like James, Westbrook maintained that L.A. nonetheless has a lot extra to play for.
“Tremendous assured that we’ll be all proper,” Westbrook mentioned. “I’ve received confidence on this group, like I all the time have. And we are able to play one of the best groups. I am not frightened about no person we’ve to play. We have overwhelmed one of the best groups; we have misplaced to among the worst groups. So, our confidence and my confidence on this group is extraordinarily excessive as a result of I do know what we’re able to after we put our thoughts to it and do precisely what we have to do on a night-in, night-out foundation.”
The Lakers (27-34) are presently the No. 9 seed, two video games up on No. 10 New Orleans, which is in a digital tie with the No. 11 Portland Trail Blazers, who’re additionally two video games behind L.A.
“Clearly, on the finish of the day, we received to come back in right here and win ballgames, and we received to play higher. However so long as we have got extra video games to play, we must always have an opportunity,” James mentioned. “So, that is my confidence. I hate dropping. I really feel like poop proper now. However tomorrow is a brand new day, and I’ll be ready and prepared for the Clippers on Thursday. That is simply — that is my mindset. That is simply who I’m.”
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