LeBron James is standing by his choice to take an important technical free throw in the Los Angeles Lakers’ close win against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. He missed the shot, and Coach JJ Redick later said someone else should have taken it. The Lakers won 116-114, but the final moments were tense, and James’ decision raised questions among fans.
Looking at the stats, it’s easy to see why people questioned James stepping up to the line. According to Clutchpoints, he had already missed four free throws before that key moment. His teammate Austin Reaves had only missed one of his 14 attempts. That’s a big difference when the game is on the line.
But James said after the game that his choice shouldn’t be a problem. He simply felt like taking the shot. “I just walked up to the free-throw line,” James said. “Why wouldn’t I? I’ve been okay with Austin taking it too, we’ve both been in pressure situations. I just took it. Unfortunately, I missed it, but I made up for it.”
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James redeemed himself with clutch plays in the final seconds
And he definitely made up for it. The intense final moments started when the Suns took a 114-113 lead with just 12.2 seconds left after Dillon Brooks hit a three-pointer. Brooks then got a technical foul after bumping into James, which was his second technical and got him ejected.
This led to the technical free throw, and James decided to take it. He missed, which was a tough moment, but the game wasn’t over yet. Despite the pressure, James has delivered incredible clutch performances throughout his career that cement his legacy.
With only three seconds remaining, Devin Booker fouled James while he tried a three-pointer. This gave James three chances to fix his mistake, and he made two of the three shots to put the Lakers up by two points and lock in the win. Right after, James blocked Grayson Allen’s shot as time ran out, sealing the victory with great defense.
Lakers coach JJ Redick admitted that Reaves should have taken the technical free throw. Redick said he didn’t even notice James walk up to the line because the Brooks ejection happened so fast.
What really matters is the Lakers got the win. They improved to 18-7 overall and 11-3 on the road. The win also helped them get revenge for losing to the Suns earlier this month. James finished with 26 points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. He also had eight turnovers, but his clutch plays when it mattered most made up for those mistakes.
Off the court, James has been praising rising football talent like Shedeur Sanders, showing his appreciation for athletes across different sports.
Published: Dec 15, 2025 05:30 pm