LeBron James

LeBron James' performance vs. the Warriors was much worse than you think

Published Jan. 16, 2017 11:31 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers want nothing more than to forget their 126-91 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

Little went the Cavaliers’ way as they never led and suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season. But as bad as it was for the Cavs as a whole, it was even more embarrassing for James. Despite finishing with a team-high 20 points, LeBron also had six turnovers and the second-worst plus-minus showing of his career.

James was minus-32 during his 35 minutes of action Monday night.

https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/821198182520647681

But this isn’t the first time James has struggled mightily against the Warriors. His all-time worst plus-minus performance came almost a year ago, when he was minus-34 against Golden State in the Cavs’ 132-98 loss last season.

https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/821197923257970688

James and the Cavs can at least take solace in the fact that they topped the Warriors when it mattered most last season. Maybe things will be the same for the defending champs this year.