The Los Angeles Lakers finished third in the regular season and were the heavy favourites coming into the first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The tail end of the regular season saw the new duo of stars, Lebron James and Luka Doncic, dominate the league, following a controversial trade.
Coming into today, the Lakers trailed 2-1 and really needed to find success to avoid a dangerous 3-1 result.
The 17-time champions held tight onto a lead for three and a half quarters, and played with such a synergy that it seemed a win was near.
However, with 3:47 to go, the Wolves came surging and regained the lead.
It was a seesaw from this point onward, with every possession vital toward the final result.
Four-time MVP LeBron had another iconic ‘blocked by James’ moment when he got one over Dontae DiVincenzo.
It was an absolute blockbuster of a finish; with 30 seconds on the clock, LeBron uncharacteristically turned the ball over, giving the Wolves another bite at the cherry.
Rising star 23-year-old Anthony Edwards iced the game for the Wolves in a controversial moment. An out-of-bounds was originally called on the young man, but a challenge saw the call overturned to a foul on LeBron, awarding Edwards two free throws.
Lakers had no answer, with Austin Reaves coming up short on a potential game-tying shot.
In absolute dramatic fashion, the Lakers have gone down 3-1, which is an extremely challenging feat.
LeBron finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, Luka tallying 38 points himself, but it wasn’t enough to stop Edwards’ 43 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
There have only been 14 occasions where a team has come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA playoffs.
LeBron is familiar with these, having been the main instigator of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 3-1 comeback over the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Can he get the Lakers to hold onto hope this time around, or is it too far-fetched?
Game 5 takes place on Wednesday, April 30.
