Lakers News: LeBron James Vents Frustration After Loss To Brooklyn Nets

KEY POINTS

LeBron James scored a game-high 39 points but was not enough to lead the Lakers to victory against the Nets Saturday
James issued a thinly-veiled shot at the depleted Lakers team for not playing as hard as they could have
The Lakers will try to end their losing streak when they visit the Houston Rockets Tuesday

The Los Angeles Lakers continue their rocky start to the season, and LeBron James is none too pleased with their Christmas Day loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

After the Lakers fell 122-115 to the Nets Saturday for their fifth straight loss, James poured out his frustration over his team's performance in recent weeks.

"Obviously this losing streak is not something that none of us want," James told reporters. "But nobody’s gonna feel sorry for you. Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for our record. Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for guys that … everybody, you know, besides I think, like, Golden State and Phoenix, everybody has guys out. So you know, you just gotta, when you get your opportunity, get your number called, just make the most of it. Go out and play, play our system."

The 17-time All-Star finished the night with a season- and game-high 39 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He also chipped in three steals and one block in nearly 40 minutes of action.

Co-star Russell Westbrook put up a triple-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting an inefficient 4-of-20 in 37 minutes of game time.

Backup shooting guard Malik Monk was the next best player for the injury-riddled Lakers squad, scoring 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, making 3-of-7 shots from beyond the three-point line.

James Harden led the way for the Nets with a 36-point triple-double of his own, which was anchored by 13 points via the free-throw line.

The loss to the Nets also marks the Lakers’ first four-game losing streak of the season, bringing their record down to 16-18 for the seventh seed in the perpetually brutal Western Conference.

Subscription-based stats website Cleaning The Glass pegged the Lakers as one of the worst teams on offense, only putting up 106.5 points per 100 possessions, which is well below other Western Conference contenders like the Phoenix Suns (111.9) and Utah Jazz (118.5).

"I'm not a very patient person, obviously. But, you know, under circumstances …without our head coach, you know, tonight we finally got a couple of our key guys back. But we’re still missing a few. We just try to stay even-keeled," James added.

The Lakers will look to snap their losing streak against the cellar-dwelling Houston Rockets Tuesday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.