LeBron James 'So F--king Tired' After Refs' No-Call on Nikola Jokic in Lakers' Loss to Nuggets
Having lost six of their last 11 games after Thursday's 120-113 defeat against the Denver Nuggets, frustration is mounting for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
James told reporters he was "so f--king tired" of the referees' explanation regarding a "marginal" play on a no-call against Nikola Jokić late in the fourth quarter when the Nuggets star sent him to the ground on a layup attempt that caused him to hit his elbow on the court.
"It's the same s--t," James said. "'Marginal.' It's the same s--t. ... That's all they keep saying is 'marginal.' I'm so f---ing tired of that word. It doesn't make no sense."
The play occurred with the Lakers trailing 110-106 with 4:05 remaining. James drove to the basket and Jokić stepped up in an attempt to divert his path to the basket.
Even though the contact didn't appear to be significant, James went to the ground and used his elbow to brace himself. He remained on the ground for a few moments before walking to the Lakers' bench.
James subbed back in with 2:05 left to play when the Lakers were down by one. They weren't unable to pull off a comeback, snapping their three-game winning streak.
Despite the late injury concern, James played well overall with 16 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes. He has shot over 50 percent from the field in four consecutive games, tying his longest streak of the season.
James said he's unsure of his availability for Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. He has played in each of the Lakers' eight games since the All-Star break and nine straight games overall dating back to Feb. 12.
Friday marks the start of a crucial five-game homestand for the Lakers that includes matchups with the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and a rematch with the Nuggets.
The Lakers (37-25) fell 1.5 games behind Denver in the race for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference with the loss. They are only two games up on the Phoenix Suns for the No. 6 seed to avoid the play-in tournament.
