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Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James and Paul George fight off the offseason

By Donny McHenry

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends against LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game at Quicken Loans Arena on January 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends against LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game at Quicken Loans Arena on January 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers fans had their free agency hopes put on hold as LeBon James and Pal George both willed their teams to playoff victories.

Los Angeles Lakers fans had a tough night watching the NBA Playoffs earlier this week. On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder both won.

The Cavaliers broke the 2-2 tie in the series by winning Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers at home while the Thunder fought off elimination by winning their Game 5 against the Utah Jazz to keep the series 3-2, still in the Jazz’s favor. These two series are important to watch for Lakers fans, as LeBron James and Paul George will be free agents in the summer, and can sign with the Lakers.

No matter what happens during these playoffs, the Lakers will more than likely get a meeting with both players. Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and the other Lakers brass will try and convince both players that Los Angeles is a better destination than Cleveland/Oklahoma City or any other city that the two players might consider.

Magic and Pelinka’s jobs will be easier if either LeBron or George’s current teams lose early in the playoffs, as that would possibly reflect those two teams’ ceilings. The Lakers’ future potential, on the other hand, has an unknown ceiling, with the sky possibly being the limit with the arrival of a Paul George or a LeBron James.

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Lakers Keep Tabs on George and LeBron

Most Lakers fans were probably rooting for the Jazz and the Pacers Wednesday night as a result, but LeBron and George weren’t going to let their teams go down.

LeBron had 44 points and 10 rebounds while George had 34 points and eight rebounds. LeBron obviously had a monster game, scoring 44.8 percent of the Cavs total points while also dishing out 8 assists. He also had the game-saving block (which might have been goaltending) followed by the epic game-winning 3-pointer. George helped Russell Westbrook, who was on fire, as the two propelled the Thunder from a 25 point deficit in the 3rd quarter on a 32-7 scoring run.

LeBron and George aren’t going to lay down and just enter their respective free agencies without a fight. Laker fans probably feel pretty bittersweet about this, as they want LeBron and George’s seasons to end early, but at the same time, it is very entertaining to see the two go off and dream about them doing it in the purple-and-gold.

The Cavaliers are currently in the driver seat and easily have the best player in the series, so they have a decent chance to advance to the second round. The Thunder, on the other hand, is traveling to Utah to play another elimination game in the very loud Vivint Smart Home Arena. It’ll be interesting to see if they can push the series to a game 7 in Oklahoma City.

Next: Los Angeles Lakers Ultimate Guide to 2018 Offseason

George has always been more likely than LeBron to come to L.A., so it’d be smart for Lakers fans to pay more attention to the Thunder than the Cavs. Either way, be ready for both players to go at it again Friday night.

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