Watch: LeBron James and Anthony Davis appear to be frustrated with Russell Westbrook as he misses jumpshot in the clutch during loss against Portland 

Phoenix Suns v Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns v Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James and Anthony Davis were frustrated after Russell Westbrook missed a jump shot during Sunday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers were up by one point with less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Westbrook brought the ball up the floor and got to his spot. He chucked up an ill-advised shot with 17 seconds still left on the shot clock. It bounced off the backboard, and the Trail Blazers regained possession. James and Davis threw their hands up in the air in frustration.

Here's a clip of the play (via Lakers Daily on Twitter):

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The LA Lakers had the lead. With better shot selection, they could've extended their lead by at least three points. Westbrook was in the midst of another terrible shooting night. He had gone 4-of-15 from the field prior to the shot. He should've created a scoring opportunity for a teammate instead.

Russell Westbrook revealed after the game that he wanted to create a 2-for-1 opportunity. The LA Lakers were in the lead, so it was a questionable decision made by the former NBA MVP.

LeBron James defends Russell Westbrook again

LeBron James has been careful with his words when talking about his All-Star teammate. Russell Westbrook has been the subject of intense criticism over the last year. During that stretch, James and the rest of Westbrook's teammates were forced to answer some difficult questions regarding his play.

James has refused to throw Westbrook under the bus, defending him multiple times in front of the media. After Westbrook's questionable shot in the loss against the Trail Blazers, the story was no different.

LeBron James called out the reporters when asked about Russell Westbrook after the game, saying (via Spectrum SportsNet):

“I don’t know. I feel like this is an interview that’s trying to set me up to say something. I can tell that you guys are in the whole Russell Westbrook category right now. I don’t like to lose, I hate to lose. … I hate losing, especially the way we had this game."
“Give credit to Portland. You guys can write about Russ and all the things you guys wanna try to talk about Russ. But i'm not up here to do that. I won’t do it. I’ve said over and over, that’s not who I am.”

Russell Westbrook hasn't been able to turn his fortunes around with the LA Lakers. Through three games, he has averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assist. He has shot 28.9% from the field, including 8.3% from 3-point range.

Westbrook has been subject to a lot of criticism since the offseason. It will keep getting worse if he doesn't start making positive contributions to the team.

The Lakers travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Thursday at 10:00pm/ET.

Los Angeles Lakers Fan? Check out the latest Lakers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

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Edited by andrew.tysiak
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