LeBron James stepped up in the absence of his co-stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves on Sunday, delivering a vintage performance against the Dallas Mavericks.
Unfortunately for the 22-time All-Star, he received limited help from his supporting cast as the Lakers lost 134-128 to the rebuilding squad, prompting FS1’s Chris Broussard to deliver a crushing verdict on their playoff outlook.
Chris Broussard Predicts Decisive 1st-Round Playoff Exit for LeBron James-Led Lakers
LA cruised through March, amassing a standout 15-2 record. Buzz was steadily growing around the veteran-laden unit’s chances of making postseason noise as Dončić peaked offensively and James settled into a complementary role.
However, the narrative quickly flipped when the Lakers received disheartening diagnoses on Dončić and Reaves after the star duo both sustained injuries during Thursday’s 139-96 blowout road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Dončić is dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, casting doubt on his playoff availability. Meanwhile, Reaves is expected to be sidelined for around four to six weeks due to a Grade 2 left oblique strain, with just four regular-season outings remaining before the playoffs’ April 18 start date.
As such, James was left with no choice but to carry a heavier offensive workload against Dallas. The 41-year-old relished the opportunity, turning the clock back with a 30-point, 9-rebound, 15-assist performance on efficient 12-for-22 shooting (54.5%).
Still, the depleted Lakers dug themselves an early 22-point hole against the reeling Mavericks, who entered Sunday enduring a 14-game home losing streak, the franchise’s longest in 32 years.
While James did it all for LA, his squad couldn’t contain rookie phenom Cooper Flagg, who erupted for a game-high 45 points. James was buoyed by a combined 44 points from Lakers role players Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura, with sharpshooter Luke Kennard improbably logging his first career triple-double.
Even so, Dončić and Reaves’ combined 56.8 points per game scoring output was sorely missed, with no one to reliably fill their shot creation void.
On Monday’s edition of “First Things First,” Broussard didn’t hesitate to put the nail in the coffin of the Lakers’ season, even though they sit fourth in the grueling Western Conference (50-28).
“They’re done. I said last week they were done before Austin Reaves was hurt. Now with him hurt, they are definitely done,” Broussard said.
“And LeBron James yesterday was phenomenal; that might be his best game of the year. I mean, he was tremendous, and they still lost to a team that is 5-18 since the All-Star break and last week, got destroyed by a Minnesota Timberwolves team without Anthony Edwards and another team without its best player. I forgot who it is now, but it was ugly.”
Chris Broussard writes off the Lakers as playoff threats with LeBron James in a lead role. pic.twitter.com/G1x10DHaQ7
— StatHunter (@stat_hunter) April 7, 2026
The analyst added that he was already on the fence about LA advancing beyond Round 1, with his prediction dependent on the team’s first-round opponent. With Dončić and Reaves out of commission, Broussard sees the Lakers encountering an insurmountable talent deficit regardless of their matchup.
“Now they’re gonna go out in the first round,” Broussard predicted. “I mean, if Luka’s back miraculously, maybe. But even if he comes back, what kind of shape is he gonna be in? … This team right here? There was a Kobe B out there, but it was Kobe Bufkin. That’s just a bad roster around LeBron right now.”
James and Co. now have little time to sort out their undermanned rotation before the postseason, beginning with a daunting rematch against OKC (62-16) at home on Tuesday, with far different stakes this time around.
