LeBron James is in quite the shooting slump — especially from long distance, highlighted by his zero-for-four effort from three-point range for the Los Angeles Lakers in their 109-80 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.
That return stretched the nearly-40-year-old’s skid to zero-for-19 from deep over his past four games. James’ birthday is on Dec. 30.
After going four-for-16 from the floor overall with six of his team’s 20 turnovers for a season-low 10 points against the Timberwolves, James was asked to reflect on the Lakers reaching the quarter mark of their 2024-2025 schedule under rookie coach J.J. Redick at 12-9.
Photo: AFP
“I wouldn’t say I’ll take it. I would never want to say that,” James said. “It is what it is. This is our record. We’ve just got to continue to get better at both ends of the floor.”
It is not only James who is struggling on offense. The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player whose average of 22 points per game is his lowest since he was a rookie 21 years ago.
“We’re just not good offensively right now. I think we spent so much time trying to get our defense corrected that our offense took a toll and took a back seat to that,” he said.
Photo: AFP
James has not made a three since he tied Kyle Korver for seventh on the league’s career list (2,450) last week. His fourth attempt against the Timberwolves from behind the arc was an air ball, causing an audible gasp from the crowd at Target Center.
The long ball is not the only shot he’s struggling with. The mid-range is on his list, too.
“Just period, just everything,” James said. “Just a rhythm. I just feel off rhythm the last few games.”
Photo: AFP
How does he fix it?
“Work. Just work. That’s all,” James said.
His stated goal of playing in all 82 games this season is still intact, but his recent performances have raised the question about whether such a quest would be wise.
“We are measuring the players, and we can tell if a guy is running hot or whatever,” Redick said. “He does a remarkable job of taking care of his body and getting recovery. I don’t know if that’s in the best interest of us and him if he does that, but if he’s feeling well and good then he should play.”
James said the 82-game achievement remains a goal for him, but he declined to discuss the possibility of resting.
The bigger issue for now is getting the Lakers back on track offensively in this continued adjustment to Redick’s system and a new staff.
Their 80-point output against Minnesota was the team’s lowest since a 122-73 loss against the Dallas Mavericks in 2017, according to Sportradar.
“Sometimes we look like a team that can compete with anyone, and sometimes we look like a team that is terrible and not going to do anything this season,” teammate Anthony Davis said. “We’ve just got to figure out what team that we want to be the rest of the season.”
Elsewhere on Monday, it was:
‧ Bulls 128, Nets 102
‧ Celtics 108, Heat 89
‧ Hawks 124, Pelicans 112
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
RSS