LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to three games after a 107-106 thriller over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night after some early season struggles.
With 19.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers were down 106-105 with James attempting what would assume to be the go-ahead points to give his team the lead. However, James would go on to miss both free throws. Second-year player Kyle Kuzma was able to grab the offensive rebound off the miss. As a result, James was then able to make up for his mishap at the line with a putback dunk that gave his team a 107-106 advantage.
Afterward, James’ well-known honesty was on display when he got onto the subject of free throws: “I’m garbage. I suck from the free throw line right now. I need my rhythm back, but I thank [Kyle Kuzma] for giving me another opportunity – giving us another opportunity. He gave me another shot so I tried to get him another shot.”
Hear from LeBron James after the @Lakers hang on to win in L.A.#GameTime pic.twitter.com/5J3kUAGhaU
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 12, 2018
James finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists while he shot 10-20 from the field, 3-9 from three and 3-7 from the free throw line.
Free throws have always been a weakness of the four-time MVP. Over the course of his career, James has only shot 74% and has never shot over 80% in a single season.
The Lakers are now 7-6 and will attempt to extend their winning streak to four games on Wednesday against the Portland Trailblazers. This is their second matchup against the Western Conference foe and the season series currently stands at 1-1.
