An encouraging LeBron James stat for the Lakers heading into Game 2

[ASFN Admin]

The Los Angeles Lakers are somewhat up against it after losing Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Their hopes of winning this year's NBA championship could very well hinge on what happens on Tuesday in Game 2 — they may not only need to win, but they may also need to win at least somewhat convincingly.

Game 1 wasn't the greatest of performances for LeBron James. He went scoreless in the first half and finished with just 19 points. Needless to say, he will need to play at his usual level if Los Angeles is to tie the series in Game 2.

The good news is that over the years, James' teams haven't done badly after losing the first game of a playoff series, as Svyatoslav Rovenchuk of Lake Show Life pointed out.

Via Lake Show Life:

"After the loss to the Timberwolves, James dropped to a record of 32-24 during Game 1s in his career," Rovenchuk wrote. "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.

"... 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."

In fact, the NBA's all-time leading scorer won three of his four championships after losing Game 1 of the finals.

"The 2012, 2013, and 2016 NBA Finals all featured James' squads surrendering the advantage to the opponent."

One should expect James to be a lot more aggressive and engaged from the start in Game 2. But the Lakers do have other issues to rectify if they are to get back in the series.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: An encouraging LeBron James stat for the Lakers heading into Game 2

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