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LeBron James on Lakers' Loss to Heat: 'Shots Just Didn't Fall in the Fourth'
February 21, 2021
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost their third game in four tries after falling at home to the Miami Heat 96-94 on Saturday in Staples Center.
James spoke about both ends of the court when talking about the game with reporters afterward.
"I think defensively we were very in-tune, connected," James said per Lakers reporter Mike Trudell. "Shots just didn't fall in the fourth."
Heat guard Kendrick Nunn scored 15 points in the first quarter to help give Miami a 36-23 lead after the first quarter. Miami only scored 60 points for the remainder of the game, however, as the Lakers locked down defensively. The Heat notably had just 15 points in the fourth.
The Lakers had an opportunity for the win in the fourth, but shots did not fall as James said. They shot 7-of-22 with three turnovers in the final 12 minutes and went three minutes without scoring a field goal at one point.
L.A. still had a chance for the tie or win when James stole a Heat inbounds pass with eight seconds left. The ball eventually ended up in Alex Caruso's hands for a long two-point attempt to force overtime, but his shot was off the mark.
The Lakers shot just 39.3 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from three-point range. L.A., which is tied for second in the Western Conference, will look to improve those shooting numbers when it hosts the Washington Wizards on Monday at 10 p.m. ET.
