LeBron James put up huge numbers for the LA Lakers, but it was not enough to win Game 3 for the LA Lakers.
The Minnesota Timberwolves knew a big LeBron James game was coming, it was just a case of whether they could handle it.
After 19 and 21 points in the opening two games, LeBron scored 38 in Game 3. The problem was an unwell Luka Doncic was not able to deliver for the LA Lakers like he is normally capable of.
This meant a record setting night for LeBron James came in vain, his scoring magic ran out in the final few minutes as the Timberwolves stepped ahead to a pivotal 116-104 victory, taking a 2-1 series lead.
At the start of the season, Lakers legend Byron Scott urged fans around the world to tune in and watch LeBron James, to appreciate the magnitude of what he is doing at his age.
Now 40-years-old, LeBron James is defying time to play at an All-Star level, highlighted by his 38-10-4 performance vs Minnesota.
And in doing so he set a record, breaking a benchmark set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1987.
LeBron’s 38 points was the highest points total ever scored by a 40-year-old player in the NBA Playoffs.
Abdul-Jabbar scored 32 for the Lakers in 1987 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, helping the team win the title.
LeBron James’ big night coming in a loss was a frustrating outcome for the Lakers, and the topic of discussion on the team’s post-game show.
Lakers reporter Mike Bresnahan described to Spectrum how LeBron’s record breaking performance was ‘the sad part’ of the Lakers loss, praising his ‘maximum effort’ that was ultimately wasted.
James Worthy, a former championship winning teammate of Abdul-Jabbar, said he believes the 40-year-old can go even better.
“He’s locked in. LeBron’s gonna be there, it’s just the rest of the guys.
“He had a couple of turnovers, but he’s so dynamic in what he does, and how he reads situations.
“He had to step up and he did, the next game is a must win, so you gonna see LeBron even elevate his play and experience to another level.”
There is a quick turnaround to Game 4, with the Lakers keen to tie up the series at 2-2, and there were positives around their performance.
This game was even until the final few minutes, when it just got away from the Lakers, with LeBron pointing to the costly turnovers for their failure.
Former Laker Byron Scott paid tribute to Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who scored 29 points to help his side re-take the series lead.
