LeBron James said he said he was “too passive” by Los Angeles Lakers teammates in a “reckless” first-half appearance fueled him to boost his game to a 113-110 victory over the Miami Heat.
The Lakers caused a first-round defeat of the NBA in the Heat, but their 13th straight road victory was unlikely when they fell by 14 points in the first half. James fell far short of the usual high standards in the first half, turning the ball over seven times and losing seven of his 11 shots.
The quadruple MVP was converted in the second half, but finished with 28 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds as the Western Conference leaders won a thriller to move to 23-3.
James revealed that some sincere words from his colleagues were justified.
“Well, we were down today because of myself,” he told ESPN. “I was reckless.
“My teammates got on my ass, they told me you play too passively, you think the game too much, instead of reading and reacting and doing what you do.” Anthony Davis got me, Boogie Cousins got me and they told me to be me alone.
“So I was like, ‘Fortunately God we have two halves in a basketball game,’ where I can flush first, and then come back and try to help us win.”
Davies also played a key role in the Lakers’ recovery, gaining 33 points and 10 rebounds.
He said: “We knew it was going to be a dog race, that’s what it was tonight and the game was fun. These are the kinds of toys we live for. “
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