Optimistic, James is the key to the Lakers believing that they can reverse the victory when they are behind 1-3

The Lakers face elimination in Game 5.

Minneapolis - In the fourth game of the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-116 and faced elimination. But the locker room is still full of optimism, believing that the Lakers can win this series, and LeBron James is the key figure.

After the Lakers' fourth game loss to the Timberwolves, Dorian Finney-Smith recalled LeBron James's reversal of the victory in 2016 when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 1-3-behind NBA Finals. James' presence makes him feel that the team still has a chance.

"I've seen 'LeBron do it,'" Finney-Smith said. "We still feel like we can win this series. We just need to win one game by one. Obviously, we put ourselves in danger, but we have to find a solution as a team."

The most recent team to reverse from a 1-3 trail in the playoff series were the Denver Nuggets, who did it twice in the 2020 playoffs. They trailed the Utah Jazz 1-3 in the first round and won the final victory, and the Los Angeles Clippers 1-3 in the second round and won the final victory.

For James who has experienced this situation, the key to the Lakers is to focus on winning one game at a time.

"Obviously, you don't want to win three games, you just want to win the next game," James said. "This is the most important thing. If not, then the offseason will begin... This is the most important thing." After Game 4, Lakers head coach JJ Reddick decided to let the starting lineup play the entire second half, which became one of the hot topics. With Dorian Finney-Smith taking the place to replace Jackson Hayes, the starters played for 24 minutes.

Although people question whether fatigue was a factor in the Lakers' fourth quarter collapse, James did not think of the cause.

"We had some really good opportunities...I missed a close layup that would have put us in a four-point lead, and we had a lot of opportunities," James said. "I don't think fatigue has to do with it. We just missed some close shots." The Lakers will return to home for Game 5 on Wednesday and strive to extend the series.