‘Out of Bounds’: Lakers’ LeBron James Reacts to the Hawks Crowd That Targeted Him

Published 02/01/2021, 11:24 PM EST

The Lakers pulled off another convincing win away from home. They defeated the Atlanta Hawks 107-99 in an important game to gain back the winning momentum. This match wasn’t as exciting as the one against the Celtics, but it kept viewers glued until the Lakers took a formidable lead in the end.

The LA side enjoyed a 9-2 start forcing early turnovers on the Hawks but struggled with their three-point shooting initially in the game. Former Laker Rajon Rondo led the Hawks’ rotation and looked productive, but it all changed later when the Lakers bounced back in Q4. It was also in the last quarter that an incident with hecklers took the spotlight.

What forced LeBron James to react to the Hawks’ fans?

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With just four minutes into the fourth quarter and the Lakers leading 86-78 after a 10-point run, something nasty happened. A Hawks fan from the crowd said something to LeBron James that led to a halt in play. The refs had to intervene, and the fans were removed from their seats.

In the post-game interview, King James said, “At the end of the day, I’m happy fans were in the building. I don’t think it was warranted to be kicked out. … I don’t think they should’ve been kicked out.” Bron then added, “He went a little bit out of bounds.” Even Anthony Davis later said, “It was a crazy little thing, but shit happens.”

LeBron on fans that got kicked out: "He went a little bit out of bounds." He said that they might've had some "alcoholic beverages" and that might've made them feel tougher than usual.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 2, 2021

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This small incident did not have any impact on Bron’s game as he scored 12 points in the final quarter with the help of two three-pointers, a layup shot, and four FTs. Overall, he fell just one assist short of scoring a double-double. Apart from him, AD, Dennis Schroder, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (with his triple threes) made a decent impact.

Lakers’ bench vs Hawks’ biggies

Yet again, it was the unsung hero in the Lakers’ squad that changed the game. Alex Caruso recorded +13 in plus-minus and scored 8 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and as many steals. But it was Montrezl Harrell who kept the score ticking in the initial half, receiving tremendous support from Kyle Kuzma and the otherwise scoreless Talen Horton-Tucker.

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All this ensured that the Hawks’ defense never dominated over the Lakers’ offense. Otherwise, the Hawks had both their extraordinary defenders in Clint Capela and Trae Young already putting up massive double-doubles. This win must’ve instilled a greater belief in the Lakers because the entire unit contributed, rather than just their star duo.

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Sourabh Singh is an NBA sports analyst for EssentiallySports, who has been working with the site since May 2020. Prior to this, he functioned as Managing Editor at WittyFeed, followed by a stint at Decathlon. The Sports Management graduate leads an active lifestyle, veering to the mountains for off-trail adventures.

‘Out of Bounds’: Lakers’ LeBron James Reacts to the Hawks Crowd That Targeted Him

What forced LeBron James to react to the Hawks’ fans?

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Lakers’ bench vs Hawks’ biggies