LeBron James dropped 61 points against the Bobcats wearing his microfiber mask, but he struggled the next night in Houston, scoring just 22 points during a three-point loss. Tonight, after an uncomfortable opening seven and a half minutes where he went 1-for-3, James junked the obstruction on his face. Except, it didn’t create the positive juju he’d hope for, and he suffered an even worse game as the Heat lost their second in a row.
Here’s James removing the mask during a timeout with four and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter.
He was just 1-of-3 at the time. After returning sans mask, he finished the period missing his next three shots, though he did have three rebounds and a pair of dimes in the period.
For the game, James shot just 6-for-18 against the persistent defense of the long-armed Kawhi Leonard (welcome back buddy!). LBJ ended with just 19 points to go with eight boards and seven assists. More important that James’ decision to play without the mask, even though he’s supposed to be wearing it for at least another week, was the lethargic play of the Heat in the fourth.
The Spurs never lost their 15-point lead at the end of the first period, but Miami made a brief run in the third. It didn’t last as the defending champs were dominated 29-13 in the fourth for 111-87 Spurs blowout win.
LeBron James’ mask had nothing to do with that.
Does James wear the mask in the next game?
Follow Spencer on Twitter at @SpencerTyrel.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
