LeBron shoulders blame for loss
In a close loss to the Houston Rockets, LeBron James takes the blame, despite scoring 37 points
Often criticized for his inability to close out games by the media, LeBron James says he is the one for people to point their fingers at after the Cavaliers’ overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, 105-103.
LeBron: "The guys put us in position to win, and I didn't come through for them."
— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) March 1, 2015
Even though he led both teams in scoring with 37 points, LeBron failed to convert critical free throws down the stretch.
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The two free throws came in overtime with 4.2 seconds left when the Cavs were down by one. He bricked them both, allowing the Rockets to cruise to victory.
His struggles with foul shots were felt by the Cavs all game. He ended up going an abysmal, 3-11 from the line.
That is hardly an MVP like performance (for comparison, rival MVP candidate, James Harden shot an impressive 15 of 18). Especially when two of them came at a point in the game where it was win or lose.
Even with LeBron shooting horrible from free throw, he did have a chance to win the game for the Cavs in regulation. With the clock getting closer to zero on the last possession of regulation, LeBron pulled up for a mid-range jumper, only to clang it off the rim to send it to OT.
Even though he is one of the most physically gifted athletes in the NBA, LeBron continues to pull up for fade away jumpers in the closing seconds with the game on the line. Why the 6’8, 250 pound forward does not take the ball to the basket is beyond me. This has always been a famous critique of James’ play and will definitely be discussed and looked at as the Cavs move towards the playoffs.
Another less than impressive stat-line was LeBron’s field goal attempts. Throwing up 35 shots isn’t exactly the most efficient way of scoring 37 points. While he did shoot 42% from the field, his +/- was at -8. Not too good for someone who played 42 minutes.
Whatever the reason, LeBron didn’t put his best foot forward for this Sunday afternoon game. But at the end of the game, he took the blame off his teammates and by emphasizing the need for his improved play if the Cavs want a chance at competing with the best teams in the League. Holding yourself accountable is huge in any quest for a title. Executing in the future will be the next step for the King if he plans on doing anything noteworthy in the post-season this year.
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