MANILA, Philippines – Staples Center erupted with cheers as LeBron James was on course to snagging his first win with the Los Angeles Lakers at the expense of the San Antonio Spurs.

But the joyous celebration lasted only until the last 6.8 seconds of play, as the Spurs’ Patty Mills drained a go-ahead jumper that sealed their 143-142 overtime win over the host team. 

The defeat left James reflecting on his first 0-3 start to the season since his rookie NBA year in 2003.

The 33-year-old was able to draw positives from the loss.

“I know what I got myself into,” James told reporters. “It’s a process. We’ll be fine. I didn’t come here thinking we were going to be blazing storms right out the gate.” 

Alhtough James hit the game-tying triple in the last 2.4 seconds of the 4th quarter to send the game into overtime, the NBA star missed two crucial charities that could’ve stretched the lead before Miller completed the Spurs’ comeback.

“We’re going to continue to get better. I like the direction we’re going in. Obviously we haven’t got the results or the wins yet, but it’s a long process,” said the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player. 

“We’re going to get experience from tonight then we’ll see what it’ll help us late in the season.” 

The Lakers were without Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram who are serving their respective game suspensions after taking part in the 4th quarter melee against the Houston Rockets last Sunday, October 21. 

This gave Kyle Kuzma an opportunity to step up in the depleted lineup of the purple and gold as he tallied a team-high of 37 points, just a point shy of matching his career-high. 

“We just want to get over this hump, maybe a little bit of fresh air when we get our first win. Everything is a little bit tense, we don’t wanna lose but we’re right there,” said Kuzma of the Lakers, who are still looking for their first win in the season. – Rappler.com