LeBron James rued the Los Angeles Lakers' injury crisis as his team's playoff hopes were dealt another blow with a loss to city rivals the Clippers.
Against one of the teams they're chasing for a playoff spot, the Lakers instead fell five-and-a-half games out of the postseason picture after suffering a 113-105 loss to city rivals the Clippers.
"This was definitely a game we needed tonight for obvious reasons," LeBron James said. "This is a team we're chasing. We didn't take care of business."
James finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists, as he was able to get to the basket and draw contact against a variety of Clippers defenders - from point guards to centers.
Rajon Rondo put up a season-high 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, it still wasn't enough.
In part, this stemmed from the Lakers' rash of injuries. Brandon Ingram - who has averaged 27.8 points in his last six games - was a late scratch due to right shoulder soreness. Kyle Kuzma left the game late with a sprained right ankle. Lonzo Ball has been out six weeks because of a left ankle sprain.
"I haven't been [in] a part of a season with this ton of injuries to all our key guys," said James, who missed five weeks himself earlier in the season, "to big, big key guys. This is just the way the season has been."
With the Clippers continued their march to a playoff spot, the Lakers attempt to narrow their focus to the day-to-day. "Everyone's been talking about the postseason," James said. "We need to worry about each and every game, how we can get better with our process and better with our team."
James' sentiments echoed those made by Sky Sports studio guests Ticha Penicheiro and Mike Tuck, who analysed the Lakers' current struggles on Sunday night.
"It's crazy to think LeBron James will not be in the playoffs," said Penicheiro, a former WNBA champion with the Sacramento Monarchs and four-time WNBA All-Star. "It will be kind of historic in a bad way. I don't think he's leading the team in the best way possible.
"Every game is must-win, because they are not just dependent on themselves. They are dependent on other teams having to lose. Losing to the worst team in the league, the Phoenix Suns, [on Saturday night] certainly didn't help their case."
"All the young players they have and all the new players they bought in, it's been a tough transition for them all," said Tuck, who plays for BBL side Sheffield Sharks.
"It has been a tough transition for LeBron as well. Traditionally, if you look at teams he has taken all the way to the finals, he has always had a solid 'second fiddle'. He had Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. He had Dwyane Wade in Miami.
"I don't think he has that right now. He has a bunch of solid, good role players - some of them might be little way 'out there' like Lance Stephenson and guys like that. But he doesn't have that second guy that he can rely on who can take some of the attention away from him."
The Lakers bid to revive their playoff hopes at home to the Denver Nuggets, live on Sky Sports Arena, in the early hours of Thursday morning (3.30am).