Lakers play third consecutive overtime game for the first time since 1991, winning behind LeBron James’ 41-minute effort

LeBron James is 36, and with just 71 days between winning his fourth championship in the Orlando bubble and kicking off the 2020-2021 season, the overwhelming wait at the start of the year was that his workload would be carefully managed. Still, James hasn’t missed a game this season, and the last three the Lakers have played have pushed him to the limit.

The Lakers went into overtime again on Wednesday in a 114-113 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was their third straight overtime game, a feat they haven’t matched in nearly three decades. The Lakers went into extra time in their first three games of the 1991-92 season, and just as they needed two overtime in Game 1 of that streak against the Houston Rockets, they needed two extra time to beat the Detroit Pistons in the first game of this stretch. Unlike that streak in 1991, however, the Lakers managed to win their three overtime games, including two without Anthony Davis.

The Lakers have to thank LeBron for that. He’s played 130 minutes in the last three games, the most he’s played in three games as a Laker. That even includes the 2020 playoffs, where he never reached 42 minutes of play. He’s done it twice in the last two games and almost started again on Wednesday. The Lakers allowed James to skip his planned media availability after the game due to the number of minutes he played.

The Lakers will play again Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Putting it back would be a tricky proposition as the game will be televised nationally on ESPN. They play again on ESPN on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets before returning to local cable on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It would be a reasonable game to rest James as the Timberwolves have the worst record in the NBA. The following Thursday, the Lakers face the Brooklyn Nets in one of the most anticipated games of the season, so having a fully rested James would help the Lakers use that game as a good measuring stick against a possible final opponent.

But James has not wanted to skip games for a rest at all so far this season. It remains to be seen whether he intends to do so or not. If he does, the choice would be more than justified. He’s led his team through three grueling overtime events in a row, and he’s done it without his best teammate in the last two. If anyone deserves a night off, it’s him.