LeBron James went from the villain to a hero in a matter of seconds in Friday’s overtime Game 3 win for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Houston Rockets in round one. The Lakers were down four when James committed a turnover and didn’t attempt to rush back to defend. Alperen Sengun’s two-point shot on the other end gave the Rockets a six-point lead with 40.6 seconds left.
James then missed a 3 with 36 seconds to go before a Jabari Smith Jr. backcourt turnover gave the Lakers some life. Jae’Sean Tate committed a 3-point shot foul on Marcus Smart, who converted all of his attempts to make it a three-point game. James took over after that point as he got the crucial steal on Reed Sheppard and converted the game-tying shot from deep with 13.6 seconds left.
He secured the rebound on Sengun’s missed game-winner. James nearly converted the game-winner from 3, which rimmed out, sending the game into overtime. Without the last couple of possessions, the Lakers wouldn’t have had a shot to save this contest. The Lakers won 112-108 in overtime.
His exploits, giving the Lakers a lifeline down the stretch, had Lakers fans pumped, who were quickly able to erase his costly turnover from their minds. Here’s how they reacted.
“I forgive you for the turnovers, LeBron,” one fan said.
“LeBron hit Sengun with the classic 3,” another said.
“Jordan will never be the goat in my eyes,” one fan wrote.
“HE’S THE GOAT FOR SUUUUURE,” one fan added.
“swear Skip Bayless was saying sum shii like “LEBRON ISNT CLUTCH”…. You better stay on that side!!!” another wrote.
LeBron James completely shreds narratives as Lakers inch closer to sweeping Rockets without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves
When Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with multi-week injuries in the same game, many put an end to the belief that the Lakers would advance to the second round, no matter who they faced. LeBron James played as a third option and saw his number plummet.
Not many, barring his own fans, backed him to play like a No. 1 option again, especially in a playoff series at 41 years old. However, the 22-time NBA All-Star wasn’t giving in to those notions. With odds stacked against him, James has again proved that he can be the leader on the court if needed.
In Game 3, James dropped 29 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals on 10 of 22 shots, including 4 of 9 from 3. For the series, he’s averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 2.0 steals on 47/44/68 splits.
LeBron James’ brilliance has given the Lakers a tremendous cushion for the second round as Austin Reaves, who was one step closer to making his comeback in Game 3 and Luka Doncic, who remains out without a timetable, have significant time to recover and be ready to return.
