In the lead-up to the Los Angeles Lakers' must-win Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic said that despite his team's lead, LeBron James' presence meant there was still an element of worry for the Nuggets. In the first quarter, Lebron showed why.

He was absolutely dominant early, scoring 21 points on 7-9 shooting in the opening 12 minutes. After easing into the game, LeBron James kickstarted his onslaught with an attempted alley-oop that went in, and from there he took over. His much-maligned long-range shooting was a lot better – 4-4 from three-point range, to be exact – and he was getting to the hoop and finishing at will.

In scoring 21 points, LeBron James tied the late, great Kobe Bryant for the most points in a playoff quarter by any Laker since way back in 1997. That performance by Bryant came in 2010, in the opening game of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns, when he had his 21 points in the third quarter. Bryant ended with 40 points, leading the Lakers to a 20-point victory.

LeBron James' 21-point first quarter performance was also a tie for the most points that he has scored in a playoff quarter, something that he has managed on three other occasions. All of those occasions were in the first quarter.

Of course, with the Lakers down 3-0 in the series, it will take something remarkable for them to mount a comeback. One quarter does not maketh a comeback, but for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, it was a pretty damn good way to start.