LeBron James Hypes Lakers Despite Kings Loss amid Race in 2024 NBA Playoff Standings

LeBron James is not losing confidence in his team despite its continued inability to fight its way out of a Play-In Tournament spot in the standings.

"We already knew we were in the gauntlet of our schedule," James told reporters after Wednesday's 120-107 loss to the Sacramento Kings. "We already knew we had all the teams that were coming in, everybody positioning and jockeying. Some of the best teams in the league. We knew it was a tough stretch for our ballclub. But even with the loss to Denver, even with the loss to Sac both times, we've still been playing some good ball."

James had one of his worst games of the season against Sacramento, finishing with 18 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists while making just six of his 16 field-goal attempts. Anthony Davis also had a relatively quiet 22 points and 10 rebounds as Austin Reaves led the way for Los Angeles with 28 points.

The Lakers entered Wednesday desperately needing a win to catch ground on Sacramento in the playoff race. They now sit three games behind the Kings (four in the loss column) for the No. 6 seed, which doubles as the final bye from the Play-In.

The Lakers have 15 games to pass the Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in the standings.

While last year's run to the Western Conference Finals from the No. 7 seed provides some hope, these Lakers are not a team finding their footing after a midseason roster shuffle as they were a year ago. Los Angeles has been hopelessly inconsistent despite a steady core and no major injury issues.

It's likely the Lakers are a No. 9 seed at the moment simply because they've got the foundation and coaching of a No. 9 seed. Even with James and Davis leading the charge, these Lakers haven't proven they can flip a switch and get a win when they need it most.