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By Cole Sullivan
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The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 115-96 loss on Sunday night in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
L.A. entered the game with a 3-0 series lead — one win away from advancing — but Houston played with greater urgency, led by Amen Thompson, who recorded a game-high 23 points along with seven assists and four rebounds.
For the Lakers, production was limited outside of Deandre Ayton, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds before being ejected in the second half following a foul on Alperen Sengun.
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Meanwhile, LeBron James struggled offensively, shooting just 2-for-9 from the field and finishing with 10 points, nine assists, and four rebounds. He took responsibility for the loss, pointing to his eight turnovers.
“It started with me, obviously,” James said. “My turnovers were unacceptable.
“Defense wasn’t our problem tonight,” he added. “It was our offense.”
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James had been remarkable through the first three games of the series, so this performance was likely an outlier — especially considering the quick turnaround after Game 3 went to overtime.
Even so, at 41 years old, he’s once again been forced into a workhorse role for the Lakers with both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined since April 2.
Reaves has been a game-time decision in each of the last two contests, giving him a legitimate chance to return for Wednesday’s Game 5. Doncic, meanwhile, continues to make progress but still does not have a clear timetable for his return.
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