The Los Angeles Lakers, all series long, had been waiting for vintage LeBron James to show up.
He arrived Friday night, but it didn’t matter. Los Angeles wasted another playoff classic from the King.
On a night when Luka Dončić struggled through a stomach bug, James set the record for most points by a 40-year-old player in a single playoff game with a 38-point masterclass of efficiency. Yet, L.A.’s 116-104 loss against the Timberwolves that set the Lakers down 2-1 in the series showed individual greatness will not be enough to carry Los Angeles through to the second round — at least if the Lakers continue to self-destruct.
Turnovers have been an issue all series; in Games 1 and 2, Los Angeles combined to give the ball away 27 times. The difference with Friday night’s 19 total turnovers was that Minnesota — a very competent defensive team, to be clear — turned those miscues into easy buckets in fastbreak opportunities. The Lakers conceded 28 points off those 19 total turnovers and attempted just 78 field goals, compared to 91 from the Timberwolves.
The Lakers also missed free throws. In Games 1 and 2, Los Angeles converted 34 of its 36 (94.4%) free throws. On Friday, the Lakers went 13-of-20 (65%) from the line, with James missing three attempts.
They failed to contain Timberwolves attackers at the perimeter, allowing Anthony Edwards, Jayden McDaniels and Julius Randle to push into the paint for high-percentage shots.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Lakers lost the battle of points in the paint by 30, a 56-26 margin.
“When we’ve been at our best, we’ve been able to be physical on the ball,” Lakers coach JJ Reddick told reporters after the game. “And not allow blow-bys and also have sort of a cover mentality, multiple effort. And it was there at times — it’s not to say our guys, they exerted a lot of effort. They played hard. But the early throw-aheads, the offensive rebounds … those things really, really accumulate, especially when you’re turning the ball over.”
Still, James has been dealing with groin and hip injuries suffered late in the regular season, which perhaps explained his pedestrian production in the first two games of the series.
But on Friday, understanding that Dončić would not be his typical self, James shot 13-of-21 (61.9%) from the field, including 5-of-9 (55.6%) from beyond the arc, while adding 10 rebounds and four assists in 41:10 minutes. Only Edwards (42:18) played more than James.
It’s stunning, frankly, given Los Angeles’ mistake-prone play, that this was a close game late.
The Timberwolves opened a seven-point lead with seven-and-a-half minutes to play, but the Lakers were able to tie the score at 103 with 4:37 left. It’s a testament to James, who hit two massive 3s to start that run.
Game 4 on Sunday now becomes crucial. Reddick said before the game that Dončić had been throwing up all day and had been dealing with the stomach bug for 24 hours. Presumably, he should be better by the time tipoff rolls around.
A 3-1 deficit in the series would put an immense amount of pressure on James, Dončić, and Reddick to save the season. As a duo, James and Dončić might be the most gifted in the NBA.
The pair are generational scorers and passers.
If Los Angeles, however, falls into bad habits — low effort, lazy passing, lack of concentration — it will all go to waste.
“We’ve got to control the controllables,” James told reporters after the game. “If we do that, we give ourselves a good chance to win.”