Remember MJ won Defensive Player of the Year

Well-known LeBron James critic Skip Bayless unleashed multiple tirades at the Lakers star following their 116-113 Game 4 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, a loss that dropped them into a 3-1 series hole.

Throughout the game, Bayless took aim at James on social media, as the Lakers squandered a double-digit lead and were outscored 32-19 in the fourth quarter while Minnesota leaned on Anthony Edwards’ late-game heroics.

“NOOOOOO WAAAAAAYYYYYY. THE LAKERS JUST BLEW A 10-POINT 4TH QUARTER LEAD AS LEBRON WENT SCORELESS IN THE 4TH AND AUSTIN REAVES MISSED THE TYING 3 FROM THE CORNER (FAR RIM) AT THE BUZZER,” Bayless tweeted.

As the action unfolded, Bayless also criticized James’ defensive impact, posting:

“REMEMBER, MICHAEL JORDAN WON A DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD.”

James finished with a defensive rating of 125.0 in Game 4, while the Lakers as a whole posted a 126.1 rating, struggling particularly to protect the paint where they were outscored 48-30. Starting big man Jaxson Hayes logged just 4:21 of playing time.

Luka Doncic paced the Lakers with 38 points on 13-for-28 shooting, with James contributing a well-rounded stat line of 27 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and three blocks.

Minnesota’s bench production was also a key factor, outscoring LA’s reserves 25-6.

Despite the fourth-quarter collapse, James still leads all players in the 2025 playoffs in stocks — combined steals and blocks — with 17.

Magic Johnson questions Lakers’ strategy that may have led to LeBron James going scoreless in 4Q

Lakers legend Magic Johnson also weighed in after the loss, raising concerns about the team’s choice to play both LeBron James and Luka Doncic for the entire second half.

James logged 46:14 of game time, while Doncic clocked 45:49. They helped LA surge in the third quarter, outscoring the Timberwolves 36-23, but faded down the stretch as Minnesota dominated the fourth.

“I dont know if it smart to play LeBron and Luka the entire second half after only having one day of rest between Games 3 and 4,” Johnson posted on X. “When we needed LeBron to take over in the fourth quarter he couldn’t – he scored 0 points in the fourth.”

LeBron James nearly set up a buzzer-beating, game-tying 3-pointer for Austin Reaves, but Reaves missed the shot from the corner.

Game 5 will shift back to LA, tipping off Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.

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John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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