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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The Los Angeles Lakers couldn't beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the regular season, and that trend continued with Game 1 of their second-round series in the NBA Playoffs.
Tuesday night was another double-digit loss for LeBron James and company, as they fell 108-90 without OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way. He had 18 points, while teammate Chet Holmgren finished as the leading scorer with 24.
LeBron led the way with 27 points on 12-for-17 shooting in 36 minutes. However, he didn't have a lot of help, and Austin Reaves, who returned last series after recovering from an oblique injury, shot a dismal 3-for-16 to finish with just eight points.
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Compounding the issue for the Lakers is the fact that they are playing without their leading scorer, Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined since early April with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. It makes things much more difficult as Los Angeles lacks enough scoring options to get past a talented team like the Thunder.
More news: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals His NBA GOAT Before Lakers Series
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LeBron, clearly frustrated with the loss, realizes the issue is his missing teammate and promptly let a reporter know it when asked where he felt the "offensive issues" were last night for the Lakers.
"The offensive issues coming from? We have a guy that averaged 37 a game. There's the issues right there. What did he average 35, 33.5? I mean what are you asking?" LeBron replied.
"The issue is right there. We playing against the number one defensive team in the NBA as far as the ratings and everything. When you play teams with great defense you have to have guys that can attract multiple defenders on the floor at all time," he stated.
King James did all he could for his team in Tuesday's loss, but he absolutely needed some more help, especially with Reaves underperforming. LeBron didn't focus solely on not having Doncic in the lineup as a scoring option and playmaker; he also highlighted areas where the Lakers need to improve.
"We have to be better at finding ways to get to the blender, finding ways to get to the paint, not turning the ball over ... and then shooting with confidence," he said.
The likelihood of Doncic returning for this series seems low, despite videos circulating of the Lakers superstar on a basketball court. He's yet to increase his on-court workload to a level where the Lakers are comfortable bringing him back, and that could mean another OKC sweep is on the way.
Not having the team's top scorer around definitely makes LeBron's task insurmountable, even for a player of King James's accolades.
More news: LeBron James Reveals Lakers’ Playoff Approach Against Thunder
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