After the 2021-22 season All-Star break, the Los Angeles Lakers were losing the vast majority of their games and plunging toward the indignity of missing out on the play-in tournament.
In mid-March, they still had a shot at making it, and against the Toronto Raptors on the 18th, LeBron James tried to make sure his team would be in position to compete for a spot in the play-in tournament.
Against the upstart Raptors north of the border, the four-time MVP registered 36 points on 15-of-26 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots.
He had 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, as he and Russell Westbrook made big plays to help the Lakers force overtime.
In the extra period, the Lakers didn’t play around. They took care of the final seconds to walk away with a 128-123 win.
It gave the team a dose of optimism that perhaps it could salvage its season, Unfortunately, it turned out to be a false hope.
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