After taking a 3-1 lead, the Los Angeles Lakers had the chance to book their ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a win over the Warriors on Wednesday. But, just as many predicted, the Golden State Warriors responded with overwhelming intensity given their season was on the line, and the Lakers were never able to match it.
The worst part of it all was that LeBron James came out of it banged up again and one has to wonder how his body will hold up for the rest of the series. Late in the second half, James had to take a break after coming down wrong on his foot and it’s got some Lakers fans freaking out.
NBA Fans Flame Charles Barkley And Shaquille O’Neal ForLaughing At Anthony Davis After Leaving Game In Wheelchair
Remember, James is already dealing with a foot injury that kept him out for a large chunk of time this season. After getting a sense for the new-look roster, James decided to play through the pain but he cannot afford to keep re-aggravating it.
Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, they won’t have much time to rest and heal after this game. In two games, they’ll have to be back in Crypto.com arena for Game 6 and the Warriors are going to bring everything they have.
Can The Lakers Still Make A Title Run?
Losing this game hardly change anything about the series as a whole, but the longer it drags on, the more it works against the Lakers who are clearly banged up heading into the final stage of the series.
Whether LeBron is injured or not, this Laker steam might just have enough to carry them across the finish line, or at least somewhere close to it. The key is Anthony Davis, and if he can stay healthy and rise to the occasion then it’s going to be tough to beat the Purple and Gold as presently constructed.
“When you look at me and Bron, we consider ourselves one of the top duos in the league,” said Davis. “We’re trying to do everything we can to try to take advantage of this window that we have. Championship-built teams don’t always come around.”
It sounds like AD knows that time is running out, and the title window will not stay open forever. Hopefully, LeBron’s ankle holds up and he’s able to play up to his standards throughout the postseason — but at 38 years old it’s impossible to have complete confidence that he’ll be at full strength for two more rounds.
