With 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers up by one point over the Trail Blazers on Sunday, Russell Westbrook took an open midrange jump shot with the idea of giving his team an extra possession.
But he missed the shot, and Portland’s Damian Lillard went on to nail the eventual winning three-pointer as Los Angeles dropped to 0–3 to start the season.
LeBron James appeared frustrated by Westbrook’s decision, and after the game he was asked about his philosophy regarding going for a two-for-one possession in that situation. But he accused reporters of trying to set him up to criticize his teammate.
“I don’t know, I feel like this is an interview of trying to set me up to say something,” James said. “I can tell that you guys are in the whole Russell Westbrook category right now.”
James said he hated losing in any fashion and gave credit to the Blazers, but he clearly felt he was being asked to scrutinize Westbrook.
“You guys can write about Russ and all the things you guys want to try and talk about Russ,” James continued. “But I’m not up here to do that. I won’t do that. I’ve said it over and over. That is not my … it’s not who I am.”
Westbrook finished with 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting, while James had 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the 106–104 loss.
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