It’s one of the great mysteries in the NBA: why a team like the Lakers can look so competitive one night and be so lost 24 hours later.
“Play harder” can be the core of every coaching message, every player’s desire, and for some reason it doesn’t matter.
Some nights, especially ones like Saturday in New Orleans, teams just don’t have it.
And whether the sneakers look like they’re made of concrete or the jerseys look like they’re made of lead, those teams are still trying to win.
LeBron James has done it before. On Saturday, he did it again, helping his team steal a 104-99 win.
“I mean, it’s LeBron,” Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht said. “…We have to get out of the way and let him do LeBron.”
James hit consecutive threes in the fourth quarter – punctuating the second with his signature “silencer” celebration – while mashing exclamation points. Max Christie, who got a surprise start due to injuries, sealed the victory by stealing an extra possession from the Lakers in the final seconds.
The Lakers have won five in a row.
“Just living in the moment, and at this point in my career, still being able to make plays and make big chances,” James said. “That’s what you live for. You’ll never get those moments back when you’re done.
Moments like James’, when the Lakers are in trouble and recovering from the emotional highs of Friday’s win against the Spurs, are difficult to create. While fatigue is not an excuse, it is real. The focus fades. Legs feel heavy.
“It’s really hard to win a game in this league,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told his players Saturday morning. “It is very difficult to win in this competition on the road, and it takes effort and perseverance.”
And in games like this, when New Orleans was missing so much of its roster, it strangely needs more.
Facing a Pelicans team so confused that only three players from their pregame hype video actually played, the Lakers (9-4) were already facing a threat to their competitive focus.
Read more: LeBron James scores a career-high 1 and Anthony Davis scores 40 in a thrilling Lakers win
Then the match started and the worst-case scenario unfolded.
The Lakers looked like they were trudging through the swamp; they were slow on rebounds, late on rotations and, uncharacteristically, a mess on offense.
James coughed up the ball. Anthony Davis let it spray through his usually sure hands. And Austin Reaves, wide open in the corner, shot a three that hit the side of the backboard.
“AR shot one wide open from the side of the backboard. Like that never happens, you know what I mean? Davis said. “We had a great look. I missed a few bunnies around the edge.
The slump allowed New Orleans (4-10), which played the night before (albeit at home), to build a 15-point lead despite being without Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy and Jose Alvarado was.
The Lakers, who won and looked sharp in San Antonio in the NBA Cup game, were still without Rui Hachimura due to an ankle injury. Cam Reddish, who had helped the Lakers remain undefeated since moving into the starting five, was also unable to play due to ankle and thumb injuries.
But Knecht, making his second start of the season, fired the Lakers back into the game in the third quarter, fueling the team’s competitiveness and drive. Knecht finished with 27 points.
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And despite building a 10-point lead of their own, James and the Lakers did enough late to end this quick road trip 2-0. James finished with 21 points and seven rebounds and Davis had 31 points and 14 rebounds.
The Lakers’ energy should be in a better place on Tuesday as they continue their NBA Cup schedule at home against Utah.
“If you don’t have it as often as you would like, you lean on the next person next to you. And I think we all did,” James said. “We all lean on the next guy next to us. And that’s how we were able to get it as a whole, because you can’t do it yourself. You can’t do it alone.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
