On December 31, Beijing time, as the Lakers' last NBA game in 2023 and James' 39th birthday, they will challenge the Timberwolves, who are ranked first in the West, on the road.
The Timberwolves have changed their previous decadence and losing streak this season, and after having a two-tower lineup and Edwards and Conley, they have won consecutive games and rushed directly to the first place in the West, and they are also the most famous team in the championship rankings. As the winner of the midseason championship, the Lakers are naturally not to be underestimated, as long as they want to win the game, no opponent will win easily. What's more, this is still the Lakers' 39th birthday battle, and no one wants to celebrate the team's boss with a loss.
The two teams played very closely, and the point difference never widened, and Gobert even offered a first-degree foul. From the first quarter of the scrum to the end of the final whistle, the final winner was decided. Unfortunately, the Lakers were unable to climb the Timberwolves mountain in the end, losing 106-108 to their opponents, and James had to swallow a Waterloo on his birthday night. In fact, the Lakers are very likely to win this game, but their luck is really not good, and they always fail to pull the score at the crucial moment.
The Lakers overtook the lead early in the fourth quarter, but Edwards showed his superstar potential when he came up, scoring consecutive points to help the team stabilize the situation, and Connie also hit two key three-pointers in the final quarter. Although the Lakers repeatedly scored fairy balls, James copied the scene of Durant stepping on the three-point line that year, unfortunately failed to equalize, and the shot at the last moment was also overtime under the defense of the Timberwolves' twin towers. In the end, he could only eat this defeat.
Davis played bravely, scoring 33 points and 17 rebounds, and James also got 26 points and 6 assists.