When LeBron James and the Lakers were matched up with the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, fans were excited. It's easy to see why this was the case as the Trail Blazers have players like Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and even Carmelo Anthony who LeBron was drafted with. LeBron and Melo have the most history here and fans wanted to see how these two veterans and friends would stack up against one another.
While the Blazers took Game 1, it became clear soon after that LeBron is simply on another level. The Lakers won four-straight games including the series clincher last night. LeBron scored a whopping 36 points while Melo put up 27. It was a great night of basketball and after the game, LeBron and Melo shared a touching moment as they hugged it out.
Melo and LeBron have been through a lot together, especially this past week as both men were key voices throughout the brief NBA boycott. Over the course of the series, LeBron and Melo guarded each other which led to a matchup that filled fans with all of the early and mid-2000s nostalgia you could ever possibly want.
Moving forward, the Blazers will be exiting the Orlando Bubble as the Lakers will now face either the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder.