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LeBron James Delivers Good News for Lakers Amid Struggles

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 11:21 AM ET

Though they still have a roster that appears capable of competing with just about anyone in the Western Conference, the Lakers have hit a considerable rough patch lately. That was highlighted by a 123-116 loss to the Warriors on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The loss drops the Lakers to 46-30, part of a concerning slide that has seen the Lakers drop nine of their last 15 games. Back on March 6, the Lakers were the No. 2 seed, at 40-21. As they prepare to play the Pelicans on Friday, they are the No. 4 seed, at 46-30.

An ankle injury for LeBron James has been the primary driver of the swoon, but even since his return almost two weeks ago, James has had his struggles. He was held to under 20 points in four of the six games in which he played.

That changed against Golden State, and if there was a silver lining to that loss, it was that James looked like his usual dominant self, scoring 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting, and making five of the eight 3-pointers he attempted. He also bulled his way to nine free-throw attempts.

“I just tried to press, get downhill,” James said after the game. “My rhythm as far as my jumpshot felt pretty good today. I was shooting from the free throw line extremely well as of late, but it’s probably the best physically I’ve felt, so hopefully I can build off of that.”

WIth just nine days left in the regular season, James and the Lakers are running out of time to build some cohesion. Things won't be easy, either. After playing the Pelicans, the Lakers get two games on the road against the West-leading Thunder, plus next week's emotional return to Dallas for star Luka Doncic.

The Lakers close out with games against the Rockets and Blazers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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