He drove the group that rallied the Lakers back into the game: The Jazz managed just six field goals in the fourth quarter against lineups largely made up of the team’s youngest players.Ī huge key was the Lakers got a lot more muscle out of their bench (44 points) than they did Saturday in Denver, when no reserve scored in double figures. James was a part of the solution, scoring a team-best 25 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. Let them know that I got this and it wouldn’t happen again.” … It was about our fans and the people that ride and die with us every single day. “So that starts with me as the leader of the team, and so just taking the onus and letting Laker Nation know. “We just wasn’t playing to our capabilities and we wasn’t giving maximum effort,” he said. James said he decided not to speak to the media after the worst defeat of the season because, “I didn’t like what was gonna come out of my mouth.” But he did want to tell the fans that he expected more out of himself and the team.
But it was hard for even the most optimistic to see a turnaround coming so swiftly after the Lakers had lost three games in a row while giving up at least 125 points in each. On Sunday evening, LeBron James apologized via Twitter for the Lakers’ 37-point blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets the previous night, promising a better effort to come. And I feel like today was kind of the day I was able to do it.” “I think I came on to bring energy and affect the game in different ways and be kind of like a curveball to what teams are used to and what they’ve seen. “I think it feels good doing what I came here to do,” said Johnson, who was thrust into duty on Christmas and has become a fundamental role player since. The 6-foot-7 forward was key for the bench-driven unit that erased a nine-point Jazz lead with a 19-6 fourth-quarter rally, scoring consecutive field goals for the Lakers during the pivotal stretch. Johnson’s two-way effort exemplified the comeback the Lakers (22-22) completed against the visiting Utah Jazz (29-15), a 101-95 victory that was authored by some of the best defense the Lakers have played all season. Later that night, Johnson gave the Lakers’ front office plenty to think about. So far, the Lakers have been content to let the 25-year-old former Mater Dei High standout stay on the roster with short-term deals: On Monday morning, he signed his third 10-day contract with the team. LOS ANGELES - Stanley Johnson has only ever been able to plan his future with the Lakers in 10-day stints.