LeBron James did not show too many signs of rust Friday night in his return to the Lakers starting lineup after missing eight games with an abdominal strain.
James finished with 23 points off 10-of-16 shooting from the floor, six rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes of action despite the Lakers' 130–108 loss to the Celtics. Los Angeles (8–9) dropped below .500 in the win column and has now lost four of its last five games.
The Lakers led by as many as 14 (32–18) in the first quarter but as has been a common theme throughout this season, they lost the large lead—Boston outscored them 112–76 through the remainder of the game.
Los Angeles's offensive struggles started in the third quarter against the Celtics, a quarter in which they have struggled offensively early this season.
After Friday's game, the Lakers are minus-92 in third quarters this season, the second-worst in the league behind the Pistons (minus-93). While James's return was a bright spot for L.A., it is no secret his team is still finding its identity.
"I think the reality of it is that everybody on the outside has really high expectations of our team, as they should," Russell Westbrook told reporters after the game. "But, the reality of our team is the we haven't really played together."
While James has no level of panic regarding the Lakers' rough start to the season, he does agree that the team must play more with a sense of urgency.
"We damn sure need to play better, no matter who is in the lineup," James said after the game.
After Friday's loss, the Lakers rank ninth in the Western Conference standings and a half game behind the Trail Blazers for the eighth spot.
