LeBron James takes blame for turnovers, poor performance in Game 4 loss to Rockets: 'It started with me'

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James isn’t going to sugarcoat it, he played a significant role in the team getting blown out by the Houston Rockets in Game 4 on Sunday. James shouldered the blame for the loss after the game, saying the Lakers’ struggles “started with me, obviously. ” It was an extremely muted performance for James, who scored 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting in the 115-96 loss .

His struggles from the field were one thing, but his game-leading eight turnovers were what stuck with James following the game. "My turnovers were unacceptable ,” he told ESPN. It was a frustrating performance for most members of the Lakers, who were without both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in the loss.

James wasn’t the only member of the team who struggled, with both Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard going 3-of-8 from the field. The one Lakers player who stepped up in the contest didn’t make it to the fourth quarter. Center Deandre put up 19 points before he was ejected in the third quarter after elbowing Alperen Şengün in the head.

After the contest, members of the Lakers and Şengün said they didn’t think Ayton should have been ejected for his actions. With the loss, the Lakers still lead the series 3-1. Prior to Game 4, Houston has struggled without Kevin Durant, who has missed three of the four games in the series due to two different injuries .