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LOS ANGELES – For LeBron James, operating in chaos has never been an obstacle, it is a professional preference. So it's not a surprise Wednesday when he said he "loved being uncomfortable", that it was the very essence of his being. A seven-week sprint to the playoffs starting from 10th place with no control over the performance of your rivals? Delicious.
Fortunately for James, the Thursday night meeting with the Houston Rockets caused all kinds of inconvenience from the first advice. James Harden was happily forced to the second quarter when he took a step back from James, then let himself be carried away by the possession of the ball by the Rockets in the first half. By the time the Lakers watched five minutes into the third quarter, they lost 19 points.
But despite the growing deficit, James seemed far from the insane and menacing superstar, sitting at an unhealthy distance from his teammates on the Indianapolis bench before the All-Star break during the worst loss of his career. James was engaged – "activated" as he said Wednesday – and fully invested while the Lakers were making one of the most impressive returns of their season. He was demonstrative with his teammates, did not hesitate to recognize intoxicating games and offered encouragement after hard times.
Gradually, a mid-court attack that was severely beaten for the first 30 minutes of play Thursday night came to life, while defensive stops opened the floor with James at the helm. The Lakers would be ready to extend their 51-27 run en route to Staples Center, bringing their record to 29-29. James finished with 29 points (11 in 23 on the field), 11 points and 6 assists.
Who will emerge in the Eastern Conference? Will LeBron and the Lakers play in the playoffs? Is James Harden an MVP lock? These are just some of the questions that will have to be answered in the next seven weeks.
Here is our new projection for both rounds, as well as the latest on 10 intriguing perspectives.
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James has a habit of coaching his team through the back of the playoffs, but this season presents a degree of difficulty that he has never encountered before. The safety net that existed in the Eastern Conference during his 15 years of reign as a resident bully? Not applicable in the West. The second-tier teams at the Western Conference are not fighting for seeding, but for their survival.
In addition to the geographic annoyance with which he has to struggle, James also faces another unknown obstacle, which he miraculously appeared impenetrable, even as he crossed the 50,000-minute mark (regular season and playoffs) during his last days in Cleveland. : LeBron James is 35 years old, and everyone, even LeBron, is subject to the vagaries of age. The body becomes more vulnerable to new particular diseases such as groin sprains, and recovery, all at once, seems incredibly slow. The morning is no longer a state of being painless. Exceptional generational talents can always offer their best performance on demand, but it takes a little more.
But with more than a week off in addition to his 27 minutes in Sunday's game in Charlotte, James seemed reloaded physically and mentally. It was obvious when he resumed the game with just under nine minutes to play and the Lakers trailed by four, stepping on the ground with measured concentration and authority. Moments later, after four Lakers points were dropped from the table during an official mid-term review of the fourth quarter turning a deficit-laden Lakers lead, James nodded to his teammates. with a soothing gesture.
Ninety seconds later, James released a vicious tomahawk jam after blowing on it. Clint Capela on the perimeter, leaving Eric Gordon to avenge the useless resistance. From there, James and Brandon Ingram would alternate virtually with buckets. The only exception to this rule is a two-handed vintage kickout on James' passage to Reggie Bullock, Lakers novice, for an open 3-point (credit awarded to Ingram for sifting Chris Paul, thus preventing closure) for give the Lakers control with 91 seconds remaining.
Given the strength of the opponent, Harden's dominance in recent weeks and Ingram's contributions (27 points and 13 rebounds), Thursday's win was a welcome relief from the narrative merry-go-round. who has consumed the team since the Davis case has engulfed him. Perhaps the precarious nature of the prospects of the Lakers playoffs can focus the attention – of the team, the media, the league – on the ground, where the Lakers' season will be turned into a success or in check.
In addition to the declining market, the trading segment of the season has become dark. Over the next seven weeks, there will be no operations, no acquisition as a free agent, no presentation meeting and, given the late date, probably no revocation. All that remains to the Lakers and LeBron James is to spare themselves the embarrassment of conducting exit talks before Easter. Thursday night was a demonstration that LeBron is indeed activated and sufficiently comfortable in his discomfort.
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