LeBron James Called out by Fans for Struggles as Lakers Fall to Ja Morant, Grizzlies

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane were awesome Wednesday night. LeBron James was not. And so on to a Game 6 we go.

Sometimes, it really is that simple.

Morant (31 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) and Bane (33 rebounds, 10 rebounds, five assists) went off in a must-win Game 5, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 116-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Grizzlies still face an uphill climb, trailing 3-2 in the series. Two more games of LeBron struggling would help their cause.

The Lakers superstar finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but he shot just 5-of-17 from the field (1-of-9 from three) and turned the ball over five times. That wasted a superstar showing from Anthony Davis, who put up 31 points and 19 boards.

It wasn't vintage James, and Twitter let him know about it:

It always feels a bit strange to see James getting dunked on. The man is in his age-38 season and is coming off a Game 4 overtime win in which he willed the Lakers to victory, playing 45 minutes while putting up 22 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists.

Plus, the game-defining moment—a 26-2 Grizzlies run between the third and fourth quarters that turned a one-point deficit into a 25-point margin—largely came with James on the bench.

Perhaps it isn't surprising that James struggled Wednesday, with just one rest day after he emptied the tank in Game 4. Add in a tough road environment in Memphis, and Game 5's result isn't incomprehensible.

It's just that...well, James so rarely plays this poorly. He's been as reliable as it gets for 20 years. When he struggles like he did in this one, it stands out.

Surely, he'll be a different guy in Game 6 on Friday, back in Los Angeles. If he isn't, this series could head back to Memphis. It's not a trip James or the Lakers want to take.