Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was the hero in the thrilling play-in victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. James hit a dagger 3-pointer in Stephen Curry's eye in the final minute after coming alive earlier in the second half, and he finished the 103-100 victory with a triple-double.

However, LeBron looked bad in the first half as the Lakers fell behind by 13 points. He's clearly still trying to find himself after missing time with an ankle injury. The way The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears puts it, there's still real concern about James' injury in the postseason:

It had previously been rumored that LeBron James would be playing through pain in the playoffs, and this would seem to confirm that.

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The Lakers were able to get past the Warriors in this game despite LeBron's sluggish start. It's a testament to his greatness that he still wound up with a triple-double after the rough first half. Los Angeles needed every bit of his contributions to get the victory.

But will James be able to hold up and play at a high level throughout the playoffs in order to repeat as champions? We all view The King as something of a cyborg who can play through anything, but it's clear this ankle injury is problematic. While it's hard to bet against LeBron James, this will be something to monitor throughout the postseason.

LeBron James and the Lakers will face the second-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.