NBA
Lebron James: They gave us only 0.2% chance for the playoffs
The Lakers star had words of pride for his team’s performance after the dramatic match with the Timberwolves and secured seventh-seed rank in the West.
The Los Angeles Lakers basketball players triumphed in the dramatic match with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA play-in tournament opening. They secured a seventh-seed ranking in the Western Conference table, and that placement will bring them to the first-round playoff series with the Memphis Grizzlies as their rivals.
As expected, the central figure of the critical duel between the Lakers and the T’Wolves was LeBron James.
NBA:
The best scorer in NBA history played 45 minutes in the duel with the Minneapolis team, which in the end, went into overtime.
“King James” scored 30 points (12/21 from the field), 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and five turnovers.
Lebron James’ postgame interview
“Some analysts calculated that we had a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs when we had a two-game winning streak. That’s all we’ve been looking for – a chance to turn the season around and have a chance to challenge for the Larry O’Brien trophy. “, said LeBron James after the game.
James, a four-time NBA champion, is fighting for his second title in the Lakers jersey. He won the first one in 2020, famously in the “bubble” of Orlando; however, this time, he will be in the outsider role.
“This was a real playoff game. The intensity, the atmosphere... Everything was like in the playoffs. And the referees let us play. It’s a good feeling when you feel like you’re in the playoffs. However, a different task awaits us against Memphis. We have a rest day, and then we prepare for the Grizzlies,” said the 38-year-old from Ohio.
Minnesota will have a second chance to reach the playoffs; first, they must wait for the winner of the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder play-in tournament duel. The winner of the eighth seed will then face the Denver Nuggets as their rival in the first round of the playoffs.