The Lakers and the Warriors are battling it out to see which side will face the Phoenix Suns in round 1 of the playoffs. This is by far the most interesting play-in game that is witnessing the two titans in LeBron James and Steph Curry facing one another.

That being said, LeBron’s availability on the court, as it seemed from the early minutes in the game, is going to stay limited. The star forward injured and then re-injured his right ankle several times in the last couple of months. So what’s the latest update on his status playing against the unpredictable Warriors?

LeBron James left the court early

In this live wire game, the Warriors took the first quarter 28-22 as Bron played under restricted minutes. King James spent just over seven minutes on the court before making his way out. In those many minutes, he managed 5 points, 3 boards, and an assist. 

According to Rachel Nichols, LeBron’s minutes are likely going to be back-loaded to help prevent his ankle from stiffening up. So going with this update, chances are strong that King James won’t show up for those 33+ minutes that he regularly times.

By the beginning of Q2, Frank Vogel had utilized nine players, Anthony Davis playing the most. And then later, even as LeBron came back, he looked far from his ultimate self as he allowed a rookie in Juan Toscano-Anderson to guard and block him.  

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Why did the Lakers lose the first quarter against the Warriors?

With both Dennis Schroder and Kyle Kuzma going scoreless, none of the Lakers could touch double figures in Q1. On the other end, Kent Bazemore and Andrew Wiggins combined three early three-pointers to give the Warriors a boost. This early lead for the Warriors can cost the Lakers heavily if LeBron James does not find helping hands at the offensive end, and Steph Curry picks his shooting rhythm.

By halftime, center Kevon Looney had 11 rebounds, and the entire Warriors starting lineup had positive +/- on the board. King James in the second quarter appeared sluggish, adding just one point to his tally. Add the 16.7% field shooting (2/12) of Anthony Davis and the Lakers were a good-defense-very-poor-offense side in the first 24 minutes. The score before the beginning of Q3 gave a crucial 13-point lead to the Warriors.

So who do you think will take the win? Help us know in the comments.