LeBron James played only his second game of the season on Sunday night, and while the Lakers walked away with a 108-106 win over the Utah Jazz, the ending brought plenty of frustration from fans.
James finished with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds in another solid outing as he continues easing back into rhythm after missing the first stretch of the season with a nerve issue. While his impact was felt, the closing moments drew heavy scrutiny.
He attempted four three-pointers in the game and missed all of them. The most damaging one came in the final minutes. With the Lakers leading and the Jazz pushing back, James found himself double-teamed.
Luka Doncic was open, but James chose to take the contested shot. The failed attempt nearly opened the door for Utah to steal the win. The Jazz pushed hard in the final seconds and forced the Lakers into a scramble, but ultimately fell short.
Still, the decision-making on that possession became the talking point of the night. Fans quickly placed blame on James for giving Utah a chance to get back into the game.
“Lebron jacking up the 3 against a smaller guy was [facepalm],” a fan WROTE.
Lebron jacking up the 3 against a smaller guy was 🤦
— Evan (@e7anp) November 24, 2025
“Damn! Lebron really is a role player now. Sad to see,” a fan reacted to a graphic of LeBron being the third-best player for the Lakers after Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“Ehh its a win, just against a bad team they blew a 13 pt lead against as soon as Lebron got back in the game. They were a -14 with him on the court tonight, but I guess that’s expected. Just hopefully they don’t have to give away games coming up in the process of fitting him in,” a fan expressed his frustration with James’ place in rotation.
“Lebron almost choked the game away,” a fan wrote.
“i love lebron but but that three he took almost cost us,” a fan wrote.
The Lakers survived, but the scare reinforced how small the margins can be when games tighten late. And if the Lakers ended up losing, the outrage would’ve been widespread.
Lakers Suffered After Deandre Ayton’s Exit
The Lakers also faced another challenge in the first half when Deandre Ayton exited with a right knee contusion. He played only 13 minutes before the team ruled him out for the rest of the game. The loss of his size and rebounding was felt immediately.
Ayton has been a major part of Los Angeles’ strong start to the season, providing efficient scoring inside, rim protection and stability on the boards. Without him, the Lakers had to rely heavily on makeshift rotations and more minutes from backup bigs.
The win ultimately softened the blow, but Ayton’s absence exposed vulnerabilities that could become long-term problems if he misses additional games.
LeBron’s late-game choice and Ayton’s sudden exit combined to make the night far more dramatic than Los Angeles wanted. The Lakers escaped with the victory, but the questions coming out of this game will follow them into their next matchup.
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