LeBron James Sets Unfortunate Playoff History in Lakers’ Opener Against Timberwolves
In a shocking turn of events, Los Angeles Lakers power forward LeBron James failed to score in the first quarter of the team’s first-round playoff matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 21-time All-Star was held scoreless on 0-of-2 shooting from the floor, marking the first time in his career he has gone scoreless in the first quarter of a playoff game.
According to a report by SI.com, James’ uncharacteristic performance was a disappointing start to what the 50-win Lakers hope will be a long, successful postseason run. As noted by SI.com, despite his slow start, James did notch a Lakers-most +11 plus-minus during that first quarter, and he did record one steal while playing nearly 10 minutes.
The source, SI.com, also reported that James’ teammate, Luka Doncic, helped lead the way for L.A. early, scoring a game-most 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor (3-of-6 from distance) and 3-of-4 shooting from the foul line. As SI.com pointed out, Doncic’s impressive performance was a key factor in the Lakers’ 28-21 lead at the end of the first period.
“It’s a disappointing start to what the 50-win Lakers hope will be a long, successful postseason run for James,” SI.com reported. James has been shockingly unaggressive for him, prioritising defence for now. The 40-year-old remains an athletic marvel, and will no doubt get his points in the contest’s second half if anything, but for now he is clearly prioritising defence.
As SI.com noted, for his career, the four-time league MVP and four-time champ boasts career playoff averages of 28.4 points on .497/.332/.741 shooting splits, 9.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks across an NBA-record 287 games. He has appeared in 10 total NBA Finals (including eight in a row from the 2010-11 season through 2017-18), and was the Finals MVP in all four of his championship runs.
The Lakers have been dealing with questions about James’ age and athleticism, and the SI.com report highlighted that James has been the league’s oldest active player for two years running. Maybe he can’t quite summon his peak athletic energy on both sides of the court anymore. That’s why the Lakers have Luka Doncic, however. The 6-foot-6 guard helped his then-Dallas Mavericks storm past the Minnesota Timberwolves in a five-game Western Conference Finals meeting last spring.
As SI.com reported, it’s clear that stopping him could be the X-factor of this series, although James has looked absolutely mortal thus far. The Lakers will need to keep an eye on Doncic, who has been impressive in his first season with the team. For the latest Los Angeles Lakers news and notes, stay glued to Los Angeles Lakers On SI.
The Lakers will look to bounce back from James’ slow start and take a 1-0 lead in the series. With James’ history of dominating in the playoffs, it’s only a matter of time before he gets going. As SI.com pointed out, James has a reputation for rising to the occasion in big games, and the Lakers will be counting on him to do so in this series.
In related news, the Lakers have been linked to several potential trade targets, including a $100 million Blazers star. Additionally, Western Conference Executive compared Lakers’ Austin Reaves to an undrafted Hall of Famer. Los Angeles Insider also walked back criticism of Bronny James with an honest admission.
For more information on the Los Angeles Lakers, please visit Los Angeles Lakers On SI.
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