LeBron James Fails to Score in First Quarter for First Time in Playoff Career

The Lakers star’s storied playoff career had a first-time occurrence on Saturday night.

Lakers star LeBron James’s career has been defined by milestones that have helped him put together one of the greatest resumes in the history of the game. 

Saturday night’s Game 3 against the Warriors presented James with another milestone, albeit an unfortunate one.

James went the entire first quarter without a single field goal attempt for the first time in his 275-game playoff career. 

While this is the first time James has gone an entire first quarter without taking a shot in his playoff career, it is actually the fourth time in his career (regular season or playoffs) that this has occurred. Prior to Saturday night, the most recent case was Jan. 15, 2020. The other two times were much earlier in James’s career, with the first coming on Nov. 28, 2003 and the second on Nov. 15, 2006.

The Lakers trailed the Warriors 30–23 after the first quarter of Game 3, as they look to take a 2-1 series lead over the defending NBA champions.