On Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves at home for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. Prior to the game, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley made a candid remark about the Lakers’ playoff prospects.
Barkley, speaking on NBA on TNT, declared, “I think it’s a must-win for the Lakers… If Luka Doncic and LeBron James lose in the first round of the playoffs, that’s a bad season. That’s a bad season. Everyone gave the Lakers the win in the trade, but if they lose in the first round, it’s going to be a really bad look for them.”
The Lakers were defeated 117-95 in Game 1, which was also played at home. They struggled with their shooting, making just 39.8% of their attempts, and fell behind in assists by 14 compared to the Timberwolves.
Many fans had strong reactions to Barkley’s comment:
@OneChillChad: “Chuck ain’t lying.”
@Ketty611865: “Chuck’s not wrong—Luka and LeBron going out in the first round would be a disaster! Game 2s are everything right now. 👀🔥”
@n0va2099: “Lakers in 7, Chuck.”
@MattHatten0623: “Just to be clear, Barkley said the Mavericks won the trade. Now he’s saying if the Lakers lose it’s bad because the Lakers won the trade. I truly believe when Charles and Shaq go on TNT for games, they completely wing it. No prep, just pure comedy and made-up crap and lies for humor.”
Game 3 of the series will be on Friday night in Minnesota. The Lakers are looking to avoid a repeat of their first-round exit from the previous season.