LOS ANGELES -- After the Lakers failed to protect a 17-point lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter Monday, eventually losing 116-115 on a buzzer-beating 3 by Indiana Pacers rookie Andrew Nembhard, first-year coach Darvin Ham took the blame.
"That falls on me," Ham said of L.A.'s lack of organization on offense down the stretch, when the Lakers shot 8-for-22 (36.4%) in the final frame. "That falls on me. I'll take responsibility for that."
LeBron James went 2-for-8 in the fourth. He was unable to halt Indiana's momentum, and his teams' all-time record of 403-1 when leading by 17 or more points in the fourth, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information, added another unlikely loss.