Mired by injuries, inconsistencies, and distractions brought about by rumors, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff hopes continue to dwindle after every game.

The Lakers are coming off a win against the New Orleans Pelicans but their so-called momentum was clipped before it even became real as the team lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in front of a dejected Staples Center crowd, 131-120.

The frustration seemed to have gotten the better of James ahead of the final buzzer as he was seen walking straight towards the locker room with around 14 seconds remaining in the game.

Los Angeles is plagued by plenty of dilemmas. The veterans they brought in on one-year deals have been underwhelming. Their youngsters were heavily thrown in trade discussions near the deadline. LeBron James is calling out his teammates. To compound their woes, a number of pundits have been targeting James himself for not being locked in on defense.

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James (31 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists) won the matchup against Giannis Antetokounmpo (16 points, 15 rebounds, six assists). But that amounts to nothing as the Lakers fall to 30-32 — 3.5 games behind the eighth-seeded San Antonio Spurs with 20 contests remaining on their slate.

History says never to bet against James. But the times have changed and there's good money on the four-time Most Valuable Player vacationing early for the first time since his sophomore season.