Luka Doncic and LeBron James tie Lakers' iconic duo of Kobe Bryant & Shaq’s legendary playoff feat amid struggles against Timberwolves

Facing a crucial Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Sunday, LeBron James and Luka Doncic came out balling in the first half. By halftime, Doncic and James already had 21 and 22 points, respectively.

In doing so, they became the first Lakers duo to have at least 20 points in the first half of a playoff game since Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in 2002.

However, despite the historic half, the Lakers still suffered a 116-113 defeat and went down 3-1 in the series.

For the game, LeBron James scored 27 points on 55.6% shooting from the field and 50.0% from the 3-point line. Doncic had a team-high 38 points on 46.4% shooting from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc.

Despite their impressive start, both James and Doncic struggled in the second half, especially LeBron James. Doncic made only 1 of 6 shots in the fourth quarter. James added only 5 points in the second half, with 0 points in the fourth.

The Lakers had finished the season as the 3rd seed and entered the series as favorites against the 6th-seed Timberwolves. With James and Doncic both gassed, averaging over 40 minutes in four games, the fear of early elimination appears very real for the Lakers.

LeBron James, Luka Doncic-led lineup plays entire second half in Game 4 loss

After a sizzling first half from both Doncic and James, JJ Redick decided to play both for the entire second half. And the Lakers coach took things even further as he didn't make a single substitution in the second half.

Instead, he played the five-man lineup of James, Doncic, Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Rui Hachimura for the entire 24 minutes.

Hachimura finished with 23 points in 41 minutes, while Reaves added 17 points and seven rebounds.

But the heavy workload took its toll on the 40-year-old James, who went scoreless in the final frame.

With the loss, the Lakers now face elimination as they head back home for Game 5. James famously has a history of overcoming a 3-1 deficit, but he will need to find a way to close strong while still playing heavy minutes.