The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets 105-112 in Game 3 tonight. It seems like despite whatever they throw at Nikola Jokić and Co., it is just never enough to beat them. Many would argue that they lost in close contests last season. Yet, nothing beats the kind of performance they are putting up now.

With tonight’s loss, the Nuggets have beaten the Purple & Gold for 11 games straight. That’s not something that can be dismissed easily. When asked about the whole situation, the 4x champion LeBron James, in the post-game presser, had some very interesting comments.

James said that they are players, and it’s only natural for them to have anxiety and for the pressure to get them. He also said that he couldn’t speak for them. But perhaps the most disconcerting statement for the Lakers fans happened towards the end. “It’s just basketball. At the end of the day, it’s just basketball.”

There is no doubt that something like this from the mouth of the greatest basketball player is enough to shock millions of basketball lovers around the world. For those of them on the sidelines, this is never going to be “just” basketball. Yes, they will understand when players talk about fans treating them like they aren’t also humans. Or many who look at them like entertainers put on the court to, well, entertain them.

But this is certainly not going to go over well with the larger basketball enthusiasts. Especially considering how the Lakers have just one game left to save themselves. And when the leaders of the team are going in with such a mindset, it is absolutely not going to provide the outcome everyone’s hoping for.

Then again, can you blame them?

What is LeBron James to do when his support cast doesn’t offer the support they are supposed to offer?

Probably, the underlying aspect of LeBron’s statement is the frustration in not receiving, if not equal, at least an effort from those around him. For example, tonight, everyone not named James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves barely showed up. Aside from these three, the rest of the Lakers combined for just 24 points!

AD had a game-high double-double with 33 points and 15 assists. Bron came close to a double-double with 26 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. Reaves, after a disappointing two games, stepped up. He finished the night with 22 points, three assists, and five rebounds.

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The most dismal of them all was none other than D’Angelo Russell. The starting guard had 0 points, two assists, and three rebounds, failing to hit zero field goals and three-pointers. In stark contrast, the “organically developed” Denver Nuggets saw a group effort.

Except for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, all four starters scored in double digits. And out of the four, three had double-doubles. Once again, the Lakers started off strong, only for Denver to pull away with the win. There is only so much the oldest player in the league and his best right-hand man can do on their own.

We don’t have to tell you how crucial Game 4 is for the Lakers. All we can do is hope they get their heads in the right space and pray the Nuggets don’t thrash them.