The Game 1 result for the Los Angeles Lakers left many absolutely stunned. The Minnesota Timberwolves hammered LeBron James and company, winning a dominant 117-95 ball game in Los Angeles to steal homecourt in the series. History suggests it is not time to push the panic button just yet for the Lakers.
There were certainly a lot of concerns from seeing Los Angeles have this game slip away as it extended past the first quarter. After a 28-21 head start on the Timberwolves, the Lakers proceeded to lose every quarter thereafter. Anthony Edwards' group punished the Lakers from beyond the arc, setting a new playoff record for their franchise with 21 3-pointers made.
"We've got to do a better job of controlling the controllable," James told the media after Game 1 concluded. "I don't think we did a good enough job after the first quarter. ... You know when you play this Minnesota team, they'll be physical. ... We should be more than prepared for that on Tuesday."
James did not look tapped into his 'Playoff LeBron' mode in this contest. The four-time champion only posted 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, shooting under 50 percent and giving away four turnovers. However, this has often been par for the course in James' playoff career.
Losing Game 1 has not been a back-breaking result in the past for James
Even in his older years, teams would be wise to look to James' history in the NBA Playoffs as a guideline to what is likely to come. For the Lakers, this is where the comfort can be found.
After the loss to the Timberwolves, James dropped to a record of 32-24 during Game 1s in his career. Many have often considered Game 1 to be an opportunity for the four-time Finals MVP to feel out his opponent more than anything else.
History shows that his teams have an overwhelming advantage when they win the first game. James is 29-2 against a playoff opponent after winning the first game. The comfort can be found in the flip side of that not looking too bad either.
Losing Game 1 does often suggest a likelier path to losing the series overall. However, the all-time playoff leader in points scored still has a positive record when going down 0-1. James is 12-11 in a series after falling behind in the first game.
LeBron has even won three of his four NBA championships after dropping Game 1 of the series. The 2012, 2013, and 2016 NBA Finals all featured James' squads surrendering the advantage to the opponent.
Losing the opener to the Timberwolves will have served as a reminder that this series will certainly not be a cakewalk for the Lakers. However, despite the underwhelming performance, there is plenty reason to believe this one is far from over.
