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The Los Angeles Lakers are down 3-1 in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they're in win-or-go-home mode as they face elimination. Not many teams in NBA history have come back down 3-1 and won the series, and it's going to take a lot for it to happen. LeBron James faces another tough task, and though he's won in this situation before, Stephen A. Smith believes the NBA granted him a favor in the 2016 Finals when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“This is the sixth time LeBron James has found himself in the postseason down 3-1. The only time he's won is when the league granted him that stimulus package and suspended Draymond Green,” Smith said on First Take.
Stephen A. Smith says the NBA gave LeBron a ‘stimulus package’ by suspending Draymond Green in the 2016 Finals 😬
(🎥 @FirstTake / h/t @jokicgoatic15 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 28, 2025
With the Cavaliers down 3-1, they were able to come back and win the championship in Game 7. The stimulus package that Smith is referring to is when Draymond Green was suspended for Game 6 for his actions in Game 5. It was obvious that Green was a big part of the Warriors' success, and losing him was a big blow for them as they tried to close out the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6, and it came down to the final minutes of Game 7 to decide a winner, but the heroics of James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love helped them take home the championship.
In this current case with the Lakers, they're not in the Finals, but coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the first round can help them build momentum towards getting to that point. It will be a tough task for the Lakers, but they have the talent to do so, and they're going to have to lock in on both sides of the ball.
The one person they do have to worry about is Anthony Edwards, who has mostly had his way with the Lakers for most of the series.
