USA Today via Reuters
Feb 1, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Cam Reddish (22) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Feb 1, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Cam Reddish (22) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers continued their road run against the Atlanta Hawks tonight. After winning a close game last time, they showed more urgency tonight. But an interruption caused by a Hawks fan going at LeBron James marred the exciting game.
With eight minutes to go in the final quarter, a courtside Hawks fan started jawing at LeBron. Referees had to step in and talk with security personnel to deal with the issue. While LeBron didn’t seem too upset by this, nobody likes a game being interrupted because of such petty reasons.
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LeBron and two fans exchange words. 😂 pic.twitter.com/pbvGVM5k7t
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The game was halted when the Lakers were up 86-78. They continued their run after play resumed and ended with a comfortable 107-99 win. They let the Hawks get close at one stage at 98-97, but then they pulled ahead, and never let the Hawks narrow the margin.
LeBron James deals with hecklers for the second time in a week
During the Lakers’ game against the Cavs on Monday, LeBron had to deal with something similar. A Cavs executive sarcastically clapped at LeBron when he missed a fadeaway to end the third quarter. The Lakers were just up by two at that point, and LeBron got charged up because of that incident.
LeBron went on to score 21 points in the fourth quarter after that, missing just once from his 10 shots. He outscored the entire Cavs team by himself and took the Lakers to a 115-108 win over his former team. He ended with 46 points, which is the highest he has had in a Lakers shirt.
During the post-game interview, while talking about what motivated him in the final quarter, LeBron said, “I felt like he was a little too excited that I missed.” It is surprising because a Cavs executive, out of all people, should know better than anyone how LeBron performs when incited.
Although he didn’t repeat that tonight, LeBron still contributed to the Lakers’ win. He finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists to cap off an all-round display. The team will expect similar performances from him as they return to the Staples Center on Thursday for a big game against the Nuggets.
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