LeBron James
The Lakers home

The Los Angeles Lakers were on a good show, but they have a tendency to mess things up when they are on a good flow. It has become a pattern for them to create challenges for themselves when it is not required. After comfortably winning the first game of the playoffs, the Lakers had to do just the same in the second game. However, the team could reciprocate similar performances only to lose the second game 103-93 on Wednesday. And it came on a day when Memphis Grizzlies missed a major player Ja Morant on their roster.

   

Out and out, it was a bad performance that the Lakers displayed. But it is a long game of seven series, and it will take every inch of effort from the players. Although it was a good effort from LeBron James in both games, it was still not enough to win consecutively. But as the playoffs now come to Los Angeles, the big man is excited to play in front of his home crowd. And since it is the first time that the Lakers have qualified for the playoffs in two years, it is going to be a full house.

The Crowd Behind The Los Angeles Lakers Will Be Bonkers

LeBron James in the Lakers crowd. Credit - Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is surrounded by cameras after scoring to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Lakers had their last appearance in the playoffs in the 2019-20 season. But that was the time of the pandemic when people were not allowed to leave their homes. They qualified yet again in 2021, when there were still restrictions about the COVID-19 guidelines. And since 2021, they have not seen the face of the playoffs in the last two years. Therefore, the Crypto Arena is expected to be a full house show in the third game of the series. Although the team is coming through a loss, they are excited to play in from of the fans.

The crowd will build an incredible amount of anticipation for the game. It will be a major push to the team’s confidence in the game. It will also lead to a higher-intensity game that will entertain the crowd much more. But it will also increase the pressure on the Lakers team as they will have to give a must-win performance. “First time. So, I’m excited for that,” said LeBron James.

What Will The Crowd Expect Of LeBron James

LeBron James. Source - Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES, CA, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2019 – Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) flexes for the crowd during a third quarter rally against the Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center.(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

This is the team that had the potential to reach the final but did not in the last three years. So, there are high expectations from the players who have shown great possibilities this year. And ever since the trade deadline, the Lakers have also been one of the best teams in the West. But now all the pressure rests on LeBron, who will be expected to play like his older self. He will have to come out of his role as a facilitator and become a beast himself.

In the last two games, James has had a decent performance in terms of presence on the court and points. While the rest of the players degraded in game two, James progressed with a team-high 28 points. According to Jay Williams, “LeBron needs a little bit more of the Miami Heat villain in him to go next level because this team is very inconsistent.