Lakers: LeBron James reacts to Game 1 loss to Suns

LeBron James comments on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 99-90 Game 1 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers successfully clinched seventh-place in the Western Conference following their win over the Golden State Warriors in the play-in game. Even though they were matched up against the No. 2 Phoenix Suns in the first-round, the Lakers were still considered favorites since they had LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

On Sunday, the Lakers lost to the Suns 99-90 in Game 1 of the series in what was a rather dismal overall performance by Los Angeles. Following the game, James was blunt about the team’s loss, pointing to the amount of points they surrendered to Phoenix.

Lakers: LeBron James reacts to Los Angeles’ Game 1 loss to the Phoenix Suns

James had a game of highs and lows in Phoenix. While he did tally a double double with 18 points and 10 assists, he did turn the ball over five times and was three-for-six from the free-throw line.

Perhaps the biggest under-performer was Anthony Davis, who scored 13 points while shooting 5-for-16 from the field and held a plus-minus of -18. Following the game, Davis placed the blame on himself for the team’s loss. When asked about it, James said that he likes when Davis places pressure on himself, because he usually responds in the following game.

During the game, Lakers fans were no doubt curious if James’ shoulder was fine after a tough landing onto the court following a boxout by Chris Paul. When asked about it during the postgame press conference, James reassured the NBA world that he will be playing in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

While the Game 1 loss does sting, there is still plenty of time for the Lakers to turn things around and make it a series. But, the Suns have proven to be a pretty formidable foe from the start of this first-round series.