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The Los Angeles Lakers were in the playoffs race and were playing some great basketball, before injuries changed their fortunes as they failed to make it to the postseason once again, even with LeBron James on their team.
After their disastrous season ended, head coach Luke Walton and the Lakers organization agreed to part ways after three seasons. Magic Johnson stepped down as the president of basketball operations, and things are not looking great for the franchise right now because there is a lot of uncertainty.
The focus shifts to free agency and it will be interesting to who the Lakers can land in LA this off-season. Let us look at the top three individual performances for the Lakers from this season.
#3 Brandon Ingram vs Philadelphia 76ers - 36 points
Stat line: 36 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 80.0 % shooting
Brandon Ingram keeps getting better with each season and fans are definitely excited about how the Lakers will make use of him in the future. The 2016 NBA draft's second overall pick is one of the most talented forwards in the game and he is just 21 years old.
Ingram has played in 52 games this season, starting in all the games before he was ruled out for the reminder of the season with right arm deep venous thrombosis. He averaged a career-high 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season.
His season-best performance came against the Philadelphia 76ers at home when he erupted for a career-high 36 points on an efficient 16-for-20 shooting. Playing without LeBron James, they needed everything they could get from Ingram to stand a chance against a really good 76ers team, and the forward came up big.
However, with everyone else struggling in the game, the 76ers ended up with an easy 121-105 win. 15 of his 36 points came in the second quarter as he kept the Lakers in the game for the most part, making some key shots.
Final Score: Philadelphia 76ers 121 - 105 Los Angeles Lakers
#2 LeBron James at Miami Heat - 51 points
Stat line: 51 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 2 steals on 61.3 % shooting
LeBron James started his two-game reunion tour with a game in Miami against the Heat and exploded for his only 50-point performance of the season. He made eight of his first nine shots and just wouldn't miss.
This was his 13th career 50-point game, and he finished the game with 51 points on a red-hot 19-for-31 shooting, including 6-for-8 from downtown. With the result already decided and just 16.5 seconds remaining in the game, James shot a 32-foot three-pointer, and pointed at Lance Stephenson who challenged him to take the shot.
The Heat just could not handle LeBron that night as the Purple and Gold ended up winning the seventh game of their last nine games.
Final Score: Los Angeles Lakers 113 - 97 Miami Heat
#1 LeBron James vs Portland Trail Blazers - 44 points
Stat line: 44 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks on 68.4 % shooting
It is LeBron James who is yet again on our list. The four-time MVP made his debut with the Lakers this season, and they did not have the kind of success they would have loved.
However, after finishing their first 10 games with a 4-6 record, the Lakers went on to win three straight games before hosting the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center.
The Lakers had already played the Blazers twice before this match-up, and this was their third game of the season. LeBron James dropped a then season-high 44 points, and led the Lakers to their fourth straight win of the season, going up 2-1 against the Blazers.
He also passed Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points) on the NBA career scoring list. His 44 points included 28 points in the second half, and he was one assist shy of his 75th triple-double. This was by far his best performance of the season, and showed the world once again that the King only gets better with age.
This was the Lakers' first home-win against the Blazers since Feb 22, 2013, and ended Portland's nine-game win streak at the Staples Center.
Final Score: Los Angeles Lakers 126 - 117 Portland Trail Blazers
Guess the Lakers players!
