On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers face elimination from the NBA playoffs at home in Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Lakers legend Magic Johnson is not letting that affect his opinions on the his former team.
Los Angeles finds itself facing a playoff exit after a dramatic ending to Game 4 in Minneapolis on Sunday that saw Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves overcome a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 116-113.
Lakers forward LeBron James did not score in the final frame. He and co-star Luka Doncic are a combined 12-for-37 shooting in the fourth quarters of the first four games of the Western Conference series.
Ahead of Game 5, Johnson made it clear how he feels about the Lakers’ leading duo.
“I have full confidence that Luka and LeBron will take care of business and beat the Timberwolves tonight!” Johnson posted on X Wednesday afternoon.
Despite their documented struggles and the hole they are in, Johnson’s faith in James and Doncic is justified. A 22-year veteran, James has a winning record in playoff elimination games throughout his career, extending the series 15 out of 28 times. He famously led the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
His record in elimination games is just 1-3 during his time with the Lakers, but in those games, James averaged 32.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists.
Doncic also elevates his game when facing elimination. With the Dallas Mavericks, he had a 4-4 record in elimination games, averaging 33.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists in those contests.
Whether or not the experience of their leaders pays off for the Lakers on Wednesday, Johnson’s comment illustrates the one of the reasons the midseason trade for Doncic was such a game-changer. In a one-off game, it is hard to count out the Lakers when No. 77 and No. 23 are on the floor together.
