What was supposed to be a game that would have tied the series turned out to be a massive loss for the Los Angeles Lakers after Jamal Murray’s final shot went in. As a result, a lot of the blame was place on LeBron James’ head, specifically by Kendrick Perkins and Skip Bayless.
In this particular game, the Nuggets went home with the 101-99 win against James and the Lakers . Nikola Jokic made jaws drop by tallying a crazy triple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jamal Murray posted 20 points, including the game-winning shot that gave Denver the lead in the series. And even with all the issues Michael Porter Jr. and his brothers are currently facing, the young forward still made 22 points on 61 percent shooting from the field.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, had a big game from All-Star big man Anthony Davis when he notched 32 points and 11 rebounds. James finished the contest with 26 points and 12 assists, while D’Angelo Russell had performed better this time with 23 points on 63 percent shooting from deep.
Even though the Lakers started the final stretch of Game 2 with a 20-point lead, Jokic and the Nuggets fought their way through until they got the win, courtesy of Murray’s jumper. As a result, Los Angeles is in a much worse position than they were before the second game started.
Kendrick Perkins, Skip Bayless Blast LeBron James After Game 2 Loss to Denver Nuggets
After the game, social media was lit with negative reactions directed towards the Lakers for collapsing against Denver. Kendrick Perkins and Skip Bayless, in particular, made their thoughts about the King known in these posts on X:
The test results are in. The Denver Nuggets YOU ARE THE FATHER pic.twitter.com/J5NLYEVa62
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 23, 2024
“PLEASE DON’T TELL ME LEBRON JAMES HAD A WIDE-OPEN UNGUARDED THREE TO WIN IT … AND MISSED IT … AND JAMAL MURRAY HAD A FALLAWAY CONTESTED BY ANTHONY DAVIS AT THE BUZZER … AND MADE IT!” Bayless tweeted.
https://twitter.com/RealSkipBayless/status/1782632887382380656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1782632887382380656%7Ctwgr%5E1d7f973099f693d2882c963d2311ea3ee4ebbc98%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hardwoodheroics.com%2Flos-angeles-lakers-news-lebron-james-troll%2F
“DON’T TELL ME JAMAL MURRAY WENT FROM AS COLD AS I’VE SEEN HIM TO … SLAMMING THE DOOR SHUT WITH SOME OF THE CLUTCHEST CLOSING YOU’LL EVER SEE,” The Undisputed host added.
Bayless’ hate towards LeBron is no secret in the sport. For years now, he has consistently criticized the Lakers star for every reason he can come up with. For his part, Perkins’ take on different issues in the NBA has long drawn criticism from fans and players alike.
It remains to be seen whether the Lakers can bounce back in Game 3. What’s certain, though, is that Los Angeles will have to do more in order to prevent being eliminated by the Nuggets.
