Nick Wright drops sober take on LeBron James, Lakers’ playoff future vs. Timberwolves

The Lakers allowed three players on the Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels) to score 22 points or more in Game 1. Meanwhile, Lakers star Luka Doncic was the only player on the team who scored more than 20 points (37). James himself finished the Game 1 matchup with 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

In fact, the only other Lakers player to score double-digit points in Game 1 was Austin Reaves, who finished the evening with 16 points of his own. Los Angeles was ultimately outplayed in the first game of the series, and the Timberwolves hope to carry that momentum into Game 2.

However, being behind in a series is nothing new to James. We’ve seen him lead his teams through adversity in the playoffs before. He most famously led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a championship win after the team fell 3-1 in the series to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016.

The Lakers would largely benefit if James were to record his average numbers this season. The 40-year-old forward ended the regular season averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game while shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from the three-point line.

Game 2 between the Lakers and Timberwolves is set for Tuesday at 10 p.m. EST. If Los Angeles can win this contest, then they’ll even up the series 1-1. If not, then the Timberwolves will take a 2-0 series lead with Games 3 and 4 being in Minnesota.