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LeBron: 'I've got to do better for this team' after 3OT loss to Kings

Juan Ocampo / National Basketball Association / Getty

LeBron James was his own harshest critic following Saturday's 141-137 triple-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings at the Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Lakers star led the home side with 30 points, seven boards, and 11 assists, but James focused on the seven turnovers and 2-of-13 shooting from deep following the defeat.

"I felt like I played a horrible game individually, and I hold myself to a higher standard than that," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin on the heels of the 10-11 Lakers' fifth defeat in seven outings.

"I've got to do better for this team, especially when we're going through what we're going through on the floor."

James missed a game-winning 29-footer at the end of regulation before going 0-4 from 3-point range in the extra frames. The 36-year-old's late-game efforts were in stark contrast to his clinical display from deep in the OT win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

"It's always a miss or a make situation," James added. "Obviously, people see the highlights and say, 'Oh, he missed that.' But I thought the looks that I got, I wasn't pressured. Wasn't sped up. Got great looks. The looks that I got tonight were actually better looks than the ones that I got in Indy. I just made them."

Los Angeles coughed up a 13-point advantage with 10:02 to play in the fourth quarter. It marked the seventh time the club has suffered defeat this campaign after boasting a double-digit lead, tied for most in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"A game that we had control of in the fourth and let it get away," Anthony Davis told McMenamin. "And then overtimes. Did enough and then once again, they made some tough shots, made some big plays. But I feel like we had control of the game."

James, Davis, and Russell Westbrook combined for 82 points, 26 assists, and 25 rebounds, while the rest of the Lakers posted a combined effective field goal percentage of 75%. Those stats should be a recipe for a straightforward win, but head coach Frank Vogel remains mindful of long-term objectives.

"We knew the early season was going to be bumpy," Vogel admitted. "This season is about peaking at the right time and understanding that we're going to use the 82-game season to learn each other and to grow each day, each game. You want to win games like this, but there's a big picture mindset that we're taking with this team."

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