Charles Barkley Sends Warning to LeBron James, Lakers for Playoffs

By Matthew CoudenContributing WriterShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were underdogs heading into their first-round playoff series against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Still, they quickly emerged as favorites after taking control of the series.That was extremely significant, given that Los Angeles was without two of its key starters: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Both players suffered season-ending injuries, although Reaves is expected to return much sooner than Doncic.Heading into Wednesday night's home game, they held a 3-1 series lead with a chance to put away the Rockets.

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