Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves was crucial for the Los Angeles Lakers, with LeBron James leading the effort to regain home-court advantage.
Even though James delivered an incredible performance — scoring 38 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while shooting 13-for-21 from the field and 5-for-9 from three-point range — it still wasn’t enough for L.A. to pull out a win on the road. To make matters worse, Luka Doncic battled a stomach illness that noticeably impacted his performance.
Still, what LeBron is accomplishing at 40 years old is remarkable, especially with all the adversity the Lakers faced in the game. His ability to keep L.A. competitive reflects his greatness. James has now made 10 trips to the NBA Finals and has never missed a postseason game throughout his career — something that really impressed head coach JJ Redick, as he shared via Spectrum SportsNet:
“It’s extremely impressive. When you think about it — 10 Finals appearances, plus a couple more Conference Finals runs with Cleveland and L.A. — it’s about 12 deep playoff runs over 22 years. If I’m remembering correctly, that’s roughly 55% of the time he’s played an extra two months. The intensity of playoff basketball, especially after the first round when games come every other day, is grueling. Considering how much the game has changed over the last 7-8 years, the physical toll is significant. We’ve seen many players break down under that stress. So for LeBron, it’s a real testament to his dedication to his craft and the way he takes care of his body.”
The tough part for the Lakers is that they couldn’t capitalize on James’ masterful Game 3 performance, leaving them down 2-1 in the series. However, L.A.’s wealth of playoff experience still gives them something to rely on as they look to turn things around.
When it comes to longevity, there simply hasn’t been another player like LeBron. Dealing with lingering injuries throughout the later stages of his career and still never missing a playoff game speaks volumes about the care he puts into maintaining his body.
At the start of the series, James didn’t quite look like himself offensively in Games 1 and 2. But he silenced any concerns by exploding for 38 points in Game 3, hitting tough three-pointers and energizing the Lakers.
Redick believes LeBron is starting to move more fluidly and getting stronger with each game, which could end up tipping the balance in L.A.’s favor as the series continues.
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