Bronny James remains under constant scrutiny from fans, given the kind of star power and legacy he carries on his shoulders. LeBron James’ son has been hounded by fans on several occasions for his offensive production, but his off-the-bench minutes during Game 3 of the LA Lakers-Houston Rockets first-round matchup even made Nick Wright share a few words of praise.
Bronny played nine minutes and scored five points, on 2-2 shooting, a three-pointer behind his father’s screen, and a lob pass from him, with a plus-minus of +4. American TV sports personality Nick Wright quickly came to Bronny’s defense on social media and wrote:
“The Lakers were +4 in Bronny’s 9 minutes and dead even in the other 44 minutes. Someone check on all the folks who were catching the vapors over nepotism run wild!”
Wright has evidently been appreciative of LeBron James and his offensive skill set, given that the King is playing in his 21st season. Earlier on his show, What’s Wright? With Nick Wright, the NBA analyst predicted that the Lakers will cruise through the Rockets in Round 1.
Given the 3-0 hole the Rockets are in, it’s highly unlikely that Kevin Durant and Co. would manage a comeback from hereon. However, the Lakers, without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, have shown the grit to contend for a title.
“I mean sh**, I’ve done enough,” LBJ showers son Bronny James with praise for outscoring Rockets’ bench
The Rockets’ bench production hit badly in Game 3, as six players could only add a total of three points off the bench. Alperen Sengun (33-16-6) and Amen Thompson (26-11-4) led the team, with double-doubles, to a decent start and held on to the Lakers until the very end. However, a clutch three-pointer from LBJ took the game to overtime, where the Lakers were just a better side.
Bronny outscored the Rockets’ bench, with five points, while other backups like Jaxson Hayes, Jake LaRavia, and Jared Vanderbilt produced some decent minutes. King James was pleased by his son’s performance and said after the game:
“And for him to come in, you see the five points, but his attention to detail, his defensive mindset, his prowess on the ball, guarding, defending. And then when they decided to go far removed underneath his pick and roll that I was setting, for him to be confident in his work that he’s put in to step up and make that shot and then run the floor and be able to catch that lob.”
James added:
“The amount of confidence that a young kid in our league can get from a postseason game… You’ll never get nervous from a regular-season moment ever again when you play meaningful postseason games and postseason minutes. He’s done that, and I think that’s just pretty cool for his career, for his confidence. I mean s***, I’ve done enough.
The Lakers will now face the Rockets for Game 4 at Toyota Center on April 26 and will look to wrap the series as soon as possible.
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