NBA Gametime RIPS LeBron went back to the Lakers locker room as LA trailed Kings 14 with 3:56 left.

NBA Gametime RIPS LeBron went back to the Lakers locker room as LA trailed Kings 14 with 3:56 left.

All right so Sacramento taking care of business 13010 again these teams meet on Wednesday an important win for the Kings who are ahead of the Lakers in the playin standings dearen Fox tying his career high with 44 points and then there’s the bigger question and we’re

Trying to get the video for you here LeBron James walking off a few minutes ago was grimacing uh in pain so Darin ham hopefully has an update on that uh 31 points for LeBron 1D assists but again coach for the Sacramento Kings this is an impressive victory yeah I

Mean we know Sacramento can score and if they can just get timely defense timely stops they don’t have to be a top 10 top 15 defense but they just got to be a to get timely stops they can score with anyone I don’t know if they’re big

Enough G in that Western Conference to make some serious noise but I tell you what if you don’t put them to sleep they gonna put you to sleep because they would run you out of the building on their floor or your floow and Lakers in trouble man because they got to go to

Sacramento they need to make up some ground because it’s going to be hard Jay to come out there playing to go as far and as deep as they would like to go because LeBron only got so many so many miles left in the tank this year and if

You g to use them in the play in all right so this is Lebron leaving the game kind of grimacing a little bit so with 356 to go that was it for LeBron James three years on your body baby that’s it yeah that’s a lot of years we

Said a lot of mileage right lot he was Tennessee 16 in this game again 13 assists five rebounds 31 points you got to cross your fingers if you’re a Lakers fan it hopefully you know he he just left because maybe the game’s out of handed not feeling the greatest yeah he

Definitely was grimacing but you know bigger picture to your point the they the Lakers just defensively don’t have the same spark that they had you go back when they won the championship you go back to what they were able to do the second half of last season throughout

The postseason they just don’t have that identity as a group right now and you saw Sacramento just run up and down the floor against them getting whatever they wanted in that game so uh it’s going to be a real challenge just how bundled it is at the bottom of that Western

Conference and the Lakers just going the wrong way with a game like tonight G I’m trying to figure out where’s that team team that want to play in the defense they played no seven games they were the best defensive team in the league for those seven they look completely

Different yes and I’m I don’t understand this the same team same Personnel how can you not get back to that how can you not find your way back to that home because that’s the one that you need to be at their defense in those seven games were unbelievable they won that inseason

Tournament going away Darin ham if I was daring I would put those seven games on tapable could you could you can you just turn it on as a team like that come I don’t know if you can turn it on but you got to remind I would say so because

They’ve done it so it’s not like you’re turning on or asking them to do something they haven’t done done they’ve done this they did it seven games won the n Season tournament so they’re capable they just got to go find it man a few words right right to the point I love

It not great for the reporter hey man he don’t waste words so at least he give you he gives you answer look he was cordial he gave you answers 100% hey without the fluff yeah he’s not giving you the one or two was honest y it was a

Good interview for Kawai I was shocked that he did it uh the Clippers right now sitting in four two and a half games back back of top spot one and a half back of Denver I just want to get your take and your assessment of what you’ve seen from the

Clippers as of late especially now four and four since the All-Star break feels looks a little different obviously Russell Westbrook not there too that hurts their bench but coach what have you seen what has been the difference from that team that was in uh December and January to what we’re seeing now

Well they’re struggling a little bit I just think that they they’re regular season fatigue look when you’re older team and these guys have won championships been deep into to the playoffs this time of year Greg I tell you you just want to get to the playoffs because you’re healthy all you’re

Thinking about if if I can stay healthy right now and stay in this place mentally and physically why can’t the playoff start right now and you got the Clifford you got Denver you got quite a few veteran teams right now playing out the stram yeah these games are important

You’re playing for positioning you want to move up as much as you can but these guys are ready to take it to another level and they’re not going to do that until you get closer and closer to the playoffs the Clippers right now they’re trying to win every game if they can get

That top seed and make all roads come through La that would be devastating Greg for Minnesota OKC two teams that been going back and for for that top spot in the Western Conference that’s been their identity for the if they give it up now this late into the season let

The Clippers walk them down and the Clifford start the season that’s number one seed I think that can that can send a shock wave through some of the younger teams just for the simple fact that they’ve gotten used to being up there they’ve gotten comfortable being up

There and now the pressure is on them because you see team like them and the clip was trying to walk him down Kawhi Leonard again fantastic 28 points six rebounds seven assists in that game against the Bucks only had one point in the fourth quarter was an off game for

Him in that in that sense even a bad shooting night but it’s been rare that he’s had those kinds of nights yeah he’s been terrific and and the one thing I will say about this group you know and you look at Quai specifically his ability to kind of get to his spots he

Has tremendous balance if you watch him he’s never leaning one way the other he always hits that two stop twep reestablishes the post he’s going to always be in triple threat and with those huge hands and his ability to just create enough space he sees that double

Team coming surveys the floor and able to get that one power dribble step back in Rhythm that’s kind of looks like the shot he hit to send him to the NBA finals a few years back when he’s with the Raptors and you know he’s just consistently gotten better James Harden

Here this was an incredible pass has four Defenders with him but able to get the ball on a dime to Kawhi Leonard to finish that play he you know I think having James Harden has really made the game a lot easier for him and Paul George because now they’re not catching

It at the point of attack all the time they’re catching it where guys are either in rotation or in help position and that little bit of space allows them to play with an advantage which isn’t often the case for your primary scores like they don’t typically get the advantage created for them they’re

Usually the ones creating Advantage for their teammates because of the presence they have on the floor but now having James hard there kind of at the helm and and that down the stretch of that fourth quarter they got whatever they wanted against a Houston team that is definitely improved defensively but the

Clippers look really good and and yeah they’ve had their struggles here uh post Allstar but you know 82 game Seasons man you’re going to have eight 10 game stretches where things don’t go right but this is the kind of game that can kind of get them on on the Ascension to

Playing some good basketball again they’ve shown what they’re capable of for me now postseason wise it’s going to come down to matchups yep I I think they’re going to be a team you’re not going to want to see because they have such great versatility offensively they defend it well if they’re healthy which

Is always a a theme with the Clippers uh they could be dangerous do do you feel differently about Kawai this year just just as far as him being healthy because over the last few years you’re watching him and you’re kind of always like worried oh he might get hurt this year I

Don’t feel that way watch Kawai I don’t feel nervous he’s gonna get hurt no because he’s back to playing like he did in San Antonio he’s healthy and I just think with all the talk about load management we put that in past think about this we haven’t had that

Conversation in the last three or four months we don’t even talk about it now because in what the Clippers understood and they even admitted it they took taking the regular season last two three years for granted they didn’t think they needed 82 games in the regular season

Get ready for the playoff but guess what 82 games builds what habits good or bad and what you’re trying to do is build good habits going into the plows and those good habits when things get tough those are the things you come back mentally and you lean on because you’ve

Been practicing them you’ve been doing them in the game and you’ve had success so I think what the Clippers have figured out is that the regular season is important to get your mind and body right to get ready for that long grind of the playoffs and then Greg I tell you

This once the playoff come if you’re healthy I’m you’re only seeing seven to eight guys that’s it and when you’re playing every other day or every two days minutes are not a matter rest is not a matter because guys take care of themselves so I’m like Greg you do not

Want to play this team come play off time because they got three guys and then they got a guy come off the bench and knowing power they got everything they got size multiple bigs they got two fors that can fat out score with anybody and defend they got a guy come off the

Bench and then they got a point guard that can set the table and for all these people that been saying they don’t need a point guard yes they did look at what James Harden has done for the Clippers think about what a point guard could do

In the other place in Phoenix for Kevin Durant book in Bradley Bill think about that what a point guard could do because again these guys are not bringing the ball up 94 feet getting wore out now you double team them they got to work like a

Dog to get it back now James H come down set the table breaks him down you got Kawai you you’re closing out kawh lard with a live dribble you’re done you have no chance alprin shenon on the flip side of things coming off a game where he had

A career high 45 has a triple double in this game uh second of the Season fourth of his career I mean what what what is bad so so bad ch for speech speech speee foreign no fear First Blood movie an enemy has been defeated you have been defeated Ally has been defeated oh

Ultimate on fly your team has destroy a tower an ally has been defeated you have been defeated enemy double kill spee legendary an ally has been defeated your tower has been destroyed you have been defeated our base is under attack defeat oh for for for for so late

NBA Gametime RIPS LeBron went back to the Lakers locker room as LA trailed the Kings 14 with 3:56 left.