LeBron James takes blame after Lakers' blowout loss to Rockets - ESPN

HOUSTON — LeBron James shouldered the blame for the Los Angeles Lakers' 115-96 loss in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Sunday after he racked up nearly as many turnovers (eight), as he did points (10) in the blowout.

«It started with me, obviously,» James said after the Rockets notched their first win of the series to make it 3-1 heading into Wednesday's Game 5 (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). «My turnovers were unacceptable.»

L.A. trailed by nine at halftime but was blitzed by Houston in the third quarter, 34-18, as James committed four of his turnovers in the period and shot 0-for-3 from the floor. For the game, he was 2-for-9 (22.2%) and didn't reach double-digit points until scoring a meaningless layup with 8:36 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut the Rockets' lead from 26 to 24.

By that point, the game had long been out of reach, with the Lakers having lost the one player on their roster that was having a strong night, Deandre Ayton, to an ejection midway through the third quarter.

Ayton was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for striking Rockets big man Alperen Sengun in the side of the head with his forearm with 5:41 left in the third. The call was upgraded from a common foul after a video review, a decision that perplexed members of both teams after the game.

«We both are sweaty guys,» Ayton said. "[My arm] just slipped off his shoulder… I'm not no guy who is a dirty player or who plays like that."

Added James: «I know what I saw… I think he was bracing for Sengun on the post up, [his] elbow [was] getting ready for the physical contact and then you see it, his arm slipped going up and then hit him in the head.»

Even Sengun, who was one of five Houston starters in double figures with 19 points and