The biggest reason LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers are facing elimination

The Lakers are down 3-1 in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are being led by Anthony Edwards.

Even during the NBA’s 3-point explosion era, the most valuable real estate on the court remains the few feet surrounding the rim.

Modern offenses, despite what the box score may show, are still built on attacking the hoop. And modern defenses are still primarily constructed on taking that space away. It’s often how much emphasis teams place on trying to take away shots in the paint that leads to 3s for the offense in the first place.

In no first-round series this postseason has the importance of shots at the hoop been more evident than the one between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The underdog Timberwolves have a commanding 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5 on Wednesday. And if the Lakers ultimately lose the series, their inability to stop Minnesota from piercing their defense with ease will be their downfall.

Los Angeles made the biggest splash of perhaps the decade when it acquired Luka Dončić in early February. The trade was a no-brainer for the Lakers in the long term, acquiring a megastar in his prime who can lead the franchise for the next decade.

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nba/lebron-james-luka-doncic-lakers-timberwolves-rcna203364

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