556

The Lakers, playing at home, were defeated at home with a series score of 0-3.

This result declared the series' death sentence.

What's even more heartbreaking is that this happened with the Lakers holding nothing back.

Kobe and James both played the entire game, but in the end, they still lost.

This turned the series into garbage time ahead of schedule.

The hype around "Empire Battle 2.0" came to an end here.

"I'm very disappointed," Kobe said in post-game interviews, "I'm disappointed in myself, in the team, in the outcome. We've screwed up at home, no excuses."

James put up 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists; he can walk out of Staples Center with his head high.

No one will say he disappeared anymore.

This was the lesson he took from his bitter defeat in 2010.

Everyone can lose, but if your stats look good enough, you can escape the blame for failure.