The Los Angeles Lakers lost a tight Game 3 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, falling 116-104 with Luka Doncic battling an illness. LeBron James did what he could, scoring 38 points and pulling down 10 boards with five three-point makes. In the process, he made NBA history.
With the outstanding showing James scored the most points by a 40-year-old in playoff history. According to Statmuse, the previous record-holder was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had 32 points against the Boston Celtics in his age-40 postseason back in 1987.
Despite the loss to the Wolves, LeBron James dropped the most points by a 40-year-old in NBA playoffs history. pic.twitter.com/J4NEOCRmrB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 26, 2025
Another vintage performance from LeBron. But as has been obvious the last few years, he's no longer capable of single-handedly dragging his team to victory. James needs some help, even when he's close to dropping 40, and with a sick Doncic visibly laboring out there, he couldn't push Los Angeles across the finish line.
It's tough for the Lakers to waste such a night from James. But his name is written into the history books once more.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James Made NBA History With Big Performance Despite Lakers' Game 3 Loss.
