LeBron James Sums Up His Performance vs Grizzlies in One Word

• LeBron James did not sugarcoat his Game 5 performance
• He finished with 15 points as the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 5 116-99 to the Memphis Grizzlies
• The Lakers are looking to close the series in Game 6 at home

The Los Angeles Lakers missed a chance to close their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies after they lost Game 5 116-99 on the road.

LeBron James had a poor performance and summed it up with the simplest word.

The Lakers had a commanding 3-1 lead heading to Game 5. However, they faced a determined Grizzlies side.

James was poor. He finished with 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, and five assists. He also went 1-of-9 from three, per the Athletic.

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Darvin Ham's team trailed by 14 points in the first quarter and nine at halftime. They roared back and cut the hosts' lead in the third quarter. However, The Grizzlies went on a 26-2 run to take a 101-76 lead with 10:48 left in the fourth quarter.

The 2020 champions cut the lead to 12 points in the fourth period before Ham decided to pull his starters with over four minutes left.

Anthony Davis finished with 31 points and 19 rebounds, and Austin Reaves added 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. D'Angelo Russel added 11 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists.

James assesses his performance

James was looking to become the player with the most closeout victories in NBA history and was honest about his display.

"Tonight I was (expletive)," he said. "I'll be better in Game 6," via ESPN.

The 20-year veteran is now 3-for-28 on 3-pointers since Game 1. He has made six of his 36 three-point attempts in the series. He expects an improvement in Game 6.

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"Just got to be better," James said. "It starts with me. Tonight I was not very good at all. My defense was pretty good. Offensively, I was not really good. So, we all got to do a better job helping one another."

The Lakers will look to close out the game on Friday in Game 6.

James matches O'Neal's record

Sports Brief earlier reported on James matching Shaquille O'Neal's Lakers record that stood since 2004.

In Game 4, James became the first Lakers player with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He is the first Laker with a 20-20 game since O'Neal in Game 4 of the 2004 NBA Finals.

He is also the oldest player in league history, with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game.