LeBron James says this NBA season is “definitely different” after the Los Angeles Lakers lost for the sixth time in eight games.
James scored 32 points but could not prevent the Lakers from being beaten 123-95 by the New Orleans Pelicans.
CJ McCollum scored 22 points to lead six Pelicans scorers in double figures.
Asked how the Lakers can recover, James said: “It all starts with a win. You learn from that win, the things you did well and what you didn’t do well.”
On Friday, 37-year-old James – a four-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star – dismissed reports he wanted to leave the underperforming Lakers.
Speaking to reporters following the Lakers 105-102 loss to the Clippers on Friday, the 37-year-old Ohio native dismissed talk that he could once again return to the Cleveland Cavaliers or pursue opportunities elsewhere.
“This is the franchise I see myself being with. I’m here,” said James, who is under contract with the Lakers for next season, which will be his fifth with Los Angeles and 20th overall.
“I see myself being with the purple and gold as long as I can play.”
James Harden continued the fine start to his Philadelphia 76ers career by posting a triple-double in his second game as his new team won 125-109 against the New York Knicks.
Harden, who moved from the Brooklyn Nets earlier this month, scored 29 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds as the visiting 76ers pulled away late in the fourth quarter.
Five steals also meant he became the first player in 76ers history to finish with at least 25 points, 15 assists, five rebounds and five steals in a game.
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 34 points as the Dallas Mavericks wiped out a 19-point deficit in the fourth-quarter to clinch a shock 107-101 win over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.
Kelly Olynyk landed a 14-foot jumper at the buzzer to give the Detroit Pistons an overtime 127-126 victory at the Charlotte Hornets.
