SI

LeBron James Ripped by Fans for Brutal Flop in Lakers’ Loss to Celtics

Kristen Wong

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after being fouled by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (not seen) during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after being fouled by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (not seen) during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Lakers saw their red-hot win streak get cut short by the Boston Celtics on Saturday night as LeBron James and Co. suffered a 111-101 loss to the reigning NBA champs.

To make matters worse, James could reportedly miss "weeks" after sustaining a groin injury and leaving the game in the fourth quarter. The NBA star tallied 22 points before exiting the contest but may have added a lamentable lowlight to his highlight reel with a brutal flop late in the game.

With the Lakers down by 18 points in the fourth, the Celtics' Jayson Tatum blew past James and drove to the basket for a layup. Tatum made some minimal contact with James and may have grazed James's chin with his right elbow, but James—ever the league veteran—expertly sold the foul:

Fans were not impressed and expected more from the 21-time All-Star:

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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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