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LeBron James reaction on the loss, Ayton and Adou Thiero's ejections

The Los Angeles Lakers missed their first chance to close out their first-round playoff series, falling 115-96 to the Houston Rockets in Game 4 on Sunday night. The loss cut the series lead to 3-1 and forced a Game 5 back in Los Angeles.

Houston controlled the game early and never let go, building a double-digit lead in the first half and extending it to 25 in the second half. Amen Thompson led a balanced Rockets attack with 23 points, while Tari Eason added 20 and Alperen Sengun finished with 19. The Rockets had all five starters score at least 16 points despite playing without Kevin Durant for a third straight game due to injury.

LeBron James pointed to turnovers as the deciding factor after the game, taking responsibility for the Lakers’ struggles. “We had a few turnovers,” James said. “It started with me, obviously. My turnover was unacceptable.” He added, “Defense wasn’t our problem. It was our offense.”

The Lakers committed 23 turnovers, which Houston converted into 30 points. James finished with 10 points, nine assists, and eight turnovers, a sharp drop from his production in the first three games of the series.

LeBron James Calls Out Turnovers and Offensive Execution

GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James

James made it clear that the Lakers were aware of the issues even before the series began. “We know before the series even started,” he said. “If we want to win this series… we have to protect the ball.”

The Lakers could not capitalize on their offensive opportunities. James emphasized that defensive effort was not the issue. “Defense wasn’t our problem. We made sure we turned them over 23 times for 30 points… it was offense.”

The Rockets took advantage of those mistakes, using transition opportunities and second-chance points to build separation. Houston opened the second half with a 12-4 run and never allowed the Lakers to regain momentum.

James dismissed fatigue as a factor following the overtime Game 3. “No,” he said when asked if tired legs contributed. “Same as it always is — sleep, cold tub, ice tub, training. Nothing changed for me.”

Looking ahead, James stressed that the approach remains unchanged despite the 3-1 lead. “There’s no such thing as being comfortable until a series is done. No. And none of us are.”

LeBron James Questions Deandre Ayton and Adou Thiero Ejections

GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James

The game shifted further in Houston’s favor midway through the third quarter when Deandre Ayton was ejected after being assessed a flagrant 2 foul for contact with Sengun’s head. Ayton had 19 points and 10 rebounds at the time and was one of the Lakers’ most effective players.

James disagreed with the decision, describing the play as accidental. “I think he was bracing for Sengun on the post-up… his arm slipped going up and then hit him in the head,” James said. “You got to be pretty damn good to just completely elbow somebody like that on purpose.”

The Lakers were already trailing by 19 points when Ayton exited, and Houston outscored Los Angeles 34-18 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

James was even more critical of the late-game ejection of Adou Thiero following a brief on-court exchange. “I’m more pissed off about them kicking Adou out,” he said. “That was uncalled for and it made no sense… give him two technicals… that was ridiculous.”

The Rockets maintained control down the stretch, closing out a 19-point win to avoid elimination. With the series now at 3-1, the Lakers return home for Game 5 needing one more victory to advance.

James made it clear that the focus remains on execution. “We didn’t execute that for 48 minutes today,” he said. “So we get better from that.”