LeBron James Has Been Down 3-1 Five Times; He’s Won Once

It’s do-or-die time for LeBron James and the Lakers in the NBA playoffs, as they trail their first-round series against the Timberwolves by a 3-1 count.

That means James and LA have to win three straight. But hey, they will get two of those games at home if it comes to it. That includes Game 5.

Win that one, go back to Minnesota for Game 6 … and the Lakers could’ve and maybe should’ve won Game 4 in Minny … then get a Game 7 at home.

Is it doable? Sure. Likely? Probably not.

Teams blowing 3-1 leads is an aberration, not the norm. That said, James managed to overcome such a deficit on the grandest stage back in 2016. And who can forget how James and the Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit against the 73-9 Warriors?

That was also an even taller task than the Lakers face now. Those Cavs had to win Game 7 on the road. Then again, those Cavs also had a younger Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and a pretty decent bench.

Today’s Lakers? Well, they do have Luka Doncic. And James, but he’s 40 now. They also have to try to slow down a well-rounded Timberwolves team with a star of their own in Anthony Edwards.

When it comes to this series, without a doubt, Edwards has been the best player. Oftentimes, in the NBA, the team with the best player on the floor will close out a series, especially with this kind of lead.

For the record, this marks the sixth time overall that LeBron has faced a 3-1 deficit. One ended remarkably well. The other four did not.