The greatness of LeBron James knows no bounds. The 39-year-old superstar delivered one of his best performances of the season, leading the Lakers to an impressive comeback from a 21-point deficit. Going into the fourth quarter, the Lakers trailed by 19 points against the Clippers. However, the Lakers rallied behind LeBron’s incredible 34-point performance. LeBron finished the game with 34 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.

King James’ performance was so remarkable that it caused ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith to backtrack on his prediction. Before the crunch matchup between the two Los Angeles teams, Stephen A. predicted a comprehensive Clippers victory. He said, “Clippers going to bust their (Lakers) a**,” on ESPN’s First Take. However, Smith apologized to LeBron following his decisive performance against the Clippers. He said, “I don’t do this often, but I owe LeBron James an apology.”

However, Stephen A. Smith gave himself the benefit of hindsight, as Paul George missed yesterday’s crucial matchup. He said, “It’s true, I said it. But in my defense, I thought Paul George would be playing. Paul George, not being out there, had something to do.” Although the Clippers missed the services of players like PG and Ivica Zubac, they still had the likes of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Russell Westbrook to bank on. However, LeBron rolled back the clock, as players of the Clippers just couldn’t deal with his energy down the stretch.

Apart from LeBron, Anthony Davis (20 points and 12 rebounds), D’Angelo Russell (18 points) and Rui Hachimura (17 points) pitched in with important contributions, as the Lakers ultimately won by a scoreline of 112-116. This crucial victory has propelled the Lakers to the 9th spot in the Western Conference standings, overtaking the Warriors. However, could LeBron and the Lakers keep up this kind of form till the postseason?

Can LeBron James lead the Lakers to their 18th NBA title?

The Los Angeles Lakers are the most successful franchise in NBA history, winning 17 NBA titles. LeBron guided the Lakers to their most recent title triumph in 2020. However, both LeBron and the Lakers haven’t come close to another title since then, and it looks unlikely that their wait will end this season.

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Although the Lakers still have a slim chance of contending for the NBA title, their performances this season have been underwhelming. But fans of the Lakers have witnessed a recent uptick in performances and results. This has given them hope of an improbable deep playoff run. With the likes of LeBron and Anthony Davis on their roster, fans are expecting a significant improvement from the Lakers in the postseason. But will the Lakers rise to their fans’ expectations?