SUMMARY
- LeBron James missed the Los Angeles Lakers' recent game against the Utah Jazz due to a left ankle injury.
- In LeBron James' absence, the Lakers faced challenges and suffered their second straight loss, bringing their season record to 19-21.
The Los Angeles Lakers faced a challenging situation in their recent game against Utah, as star player LeBron James was out due to a left ankle peroneal tendinopathy injury. This change left the Lakers in a tough spot, and despite they gave it their all, they were defeated by the Jazz (132-125). This was their second straight loss, bringing their season record to 19-21.
Interestingly, LeBron James sparked the NBA community by posting a ‘cheetah’ emoji on his X account just half an hour before the game. Fans quickly guessed the meaning of this post, with some humorously suggesting he might have missed the game to watch the NFL playoffs game between Kansas City Cheifs and Miami Dolphins.
🐆
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 14, 2024
One fan wrote, “Bro, you can still make it in the game vs Jazz. Please leave the watching to us.” Another fan added, “Sat out to watch NFL games😂😂,” while another commented, “Did u miss tonight’s game to watch MaFraud lmao.”
The emoji was seen as a reference to Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, who has the nickname “Cheetah.” The Chiefs secured a 26-7 victory in challenging weather conditions, largely because other than one big play to Hill, Miami’s offense generated almost nothing.
Meanwhile, the Lakers struggled without their key player. D’Angelo Russell stepped up, leading the team with 39 points and eight assists. Austin Reaves also made a big contribution with 19 points, although he fouled out in the fourth quarter. Rui Hachimura led the bench with 17 points on 50% shooting.
Gilbert Arenas shed light on the Los Angeles Lakers’ problems
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas recently offered an analysis of the Los Angeles Lakers’ ongoing struggles. Referring to their recent game against the Phoenix Suns, Arenas pointed out issues in the team’s setup. He highlighted the ineffective placement of non-shooters like Jarred Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish in the corner.
“You got two non-shooters in the corner. You got [Jarred] Vanderbilt who can’t shoot. You got Cam [Reddish] over there who can’t shoot.” Arenas took to Instagram during the gameplay. “The damn referees is playing more offense than the goddamn Lakers corner guys.”
Lakers got too much atmosphere on the court…
Darvin Ham give LeBron and AD some shooters so they can space the floor! pic.twitter.com/p5VbFugo3f
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) January 12, 2024
Later, Arenas shared his views on X, emphasizing the need for head coach Darvin Ham to add more skilled shooters to support LeBron James and Anthony Davis. “Lakers got too much atmosphere on the court. Darvin Ham give LeBron and AD some shooters so they can space the floor!”
The Lakers’ poor performance in capitalizing on corner three-pointers ranked them 29th in the NBA with a 34.6% field goal success rate. Taurean Prince, despite being the team’s best deep shooter, ranks only 62nd in the league, further highlighting the team’s problems.