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LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the third quarter against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on December 28, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP
If the current conjecture is correct, LeBron James could make his final career appearance in Atlanta in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform when the team visits the Hawks last night.
The four-time NBA MVP has been troubled by his team’s lack of success this season. The Lakers are 14-21, the second-worst record for a team through 35 games. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers, who went 11-24 in their rookie season, were worse.
The Lakers have the third-worst record in the Western Conference and are 3 1/2 games behind the Golden State Warriors for a play-in playoff spot. The Lakers are 1-2 on their current five-game road trip.
“I don’t want to finish my career playing at this level, from a team perspective,” James said. “I want to keep competing for championships because I know what I can still bring to the football club with the right pieces.”
James had 27 points in Wednesday’s 112-98 loss to the Miami Heat and is averaging 27.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists a game. In 60 career games against Atlanta, he averaged 27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists.
“I won and I wanted to win,” James said. “Playing basketball at this level, just to play basketball, is not in my DNA. We’ll see what happens and see how my mind stays fresh for the next few years.
Dennis Schroder, who played his first five seasons in Atlanta after being the team’s No. 1 pick (No. 17 overall) in 2013, played through a sore left leg and scored 15 against the Heat. He averaged 10.5 points in 21 games.
The Hawks were without three starters in Wednesday’s 108-107 loss to Brooklyn — leading scorer Trae Young (calf contusion), rebounder Clint Capela (calf strain) and De’Andre Hunter (ankle). Young averaged 27.3 points and 9.9 assists. The injured trio had 54.3 points on a team that averaged 114.3.
Atlanta stayed close to the Nets thanks to 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists from Dejounte Murray, 21 points and eight rebounds from John Collins, and 18 points with a season-high 13 rebounds from Onyeka Okongwu.
“I saw fight from our guys,” Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said. “You can live with that. I thought from start to finish, we stepped up and played. We didn’t think about the guys that came out. The guys that played came out and played to win.
Okongwu, the team’s first-round pick in 2020, played well in Capela’s absence. He is averaging 8.8 points and 7.0 rebounds this season but has averaged 12.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in the six games since Capela’s injury.
“For me, it’s about being consistent,” said Okongwu. “Sometimes I can be up and down. It’s a long season, and I’m trying to work on it.
Jalen Johnson played Wednesday despite leg pain and matched his career high with 14 points.
Atlanta and Los Angeles meet for the first time this season. The teams split the season series two games a year ago, each winning at home.
Field Level Media
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