LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers face a big challenge in the Phoenix Suns, the 2nd seed in the Western Conference that already won Game 1 of the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs.
Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton got to work on Sunday and dismantled the Lakers, beating them 99-90. Seeing how well they played two days ago, more than one person would think the Suns are now the favorites to take this series, but that’s far from reality.
LeBron holds one record that makes the Lakers fan dream about the comeback, and the Suns fans worry about what is going to happen next. After losing the first game of a series, James has led his team to victory in 12 matchups. This isn’t new; he has been doing this since 2007.
- 2007 Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons (4-2)
- 2011 Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls (4-1)
- 2012 NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)
- 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Chicago Bulls (4-1)
- 2013 NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (4-3)
- 2014 Eastern Conference Finals vs. Indiana Pacers (4-2)
- 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls (4-2)
- 2016 NBA Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors (4-3)
- 2018 Eastern Conference Round 1: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers (4-3)
- 2018 Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics (4-3)
- 2020 Western Conference Round 1: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers (4-1)
- 2020 Western Conference Semifinals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets (4-1)
As you can see, the Lakers fans have witnessed how LeBron reacts after losing Game 1 of prior series. It happened twice last year when the Lakers were en route to win their first NBA title in 10 years.
However, things are different this year; we are not in the bubble, and the Suns showed a lot of intensity and desire to win in Game 1. They won one game where Chris Paul didn’t have significant participation, and that should be scary for the purple and gold. Still, this is the NBA, and anything can happen, especially in the playoffs.
**Credit for idea: Hoop Smart**
