Is that a thorn in the blooming dynasty? I hope not. The LA Lakers survived the Timberwolves‘ late-game surge and produced their fourth straight win. Thanks to LeBron James. A fighting effort, recording 33 points and 17 rebounds. Without a doubt, it was a physically taxing game for the 40-year-old. But did he manage to come out of the game without an injury? The visuals from the game weren’t pleasing to the eyes. Should JJ Redick be blamed for the damage?

The Wolves came into the game, riding high on confidence after defeating the mighty OKC Thunder. That too, they managed to pull it off without two starters on the lineup. Last night wasn’t any different. Anthony Edwards & Co. put up a fighting effort in the second half, coming back from a 23-point deficit. 

At one point, it turned into anybody’s game, as the Wolves brought down the deficit to 3 points. It’s important to note that Ant-Man was ejected in the process. So, looking from the Lakers’ perspective, the team needed a special effort, and LeBron James was right there to provide it. He recorded 6 points and 6 rebounds in the last quarter, keeping the Wolves stranded at the gate. However, in the process, the star seemed to have injured his hamstring. 

With two minutes left on the clock, Bron muscled against two Wolves defenders at the rim and managed to get a call. At the same time, he was seen holding on to his hamstring and tried to walk it off.

Nevertheless, JJ Redick didn’t take him off the court either, and Bron continued to push it till the end. The announcers were quick to point out that the superstar wasn’t moving very freely. Above all, right after the final buzzer, James quickly limped off straight to the locker room.

It’s the last thing that a Lakers fan would want to see. Fortunately, it wasn’t anything serious as Akron Hammer confirmed, saying, “I’m good. We’ll see how I feel when I get up. As far as the hamstring, I’m straight.” However, there was still a bit of skepticism in his response. Who is responsible for the damage, though? Is it JJ? Let’s find out.

Did JJ Redick’s game plan put LeBron James in danger?

We all know the Lakers are brutally physical. I mean, having a roster with players like LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Dorian Finney-Smith on the frontcourt, you can’t expect the team to shoot jump shots all the time.

At the same time, is it sustainable to chart out a physical game plan for the entire game? Won’t the players get worn out by the third quarter? 

We have seen the Lakers lose the plot in the second half in plenty of games this season. However, JJ Redick doesn’t think the same. Following the last win over the Wolves, a reporter put forward the same question in front of JJ. “I don’t know. I know we’ve had some good games where we’ve played as hard as we played tonight um… shooting the basketball. So, something we’ll monitor for sure,” said the coach.

What does it leave us with? Yes, the Lakers’ physicality is their strength. However, can they continue to play hard, risking injuries? Especially when the team has a 40-year-old superstar and an injury-prone guard, Luka Doncic. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.