LeBron James loses in first round for first time in his career

LeBron James is arguably one of the best players in the NBA. He has time and again proven his brilliance on the court, carrying his teams to the Playoffs. But, for the first time in his career, LeBron James will not compete in the second round after facing defeat against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the Playoffs.

James tried to save his team, scoring 29 points, but that was not enough to stop Phoenix, who have looked phenomenal all year. Having played some brilliant basketball, the Suns looked like the better team throughout the series and their resilience and toughness on the court helped them get the Lakers eliminated.

LeBron James Playoffs

LeBron James is easily one of the best players in the history of the game going into the postseason. The Lakers star averages 28.7 points in the Playoffs and has been part of the best matches in the Playoffs. He has averaged almost 33 points in elimination games and thrives in clutch situations. King James has won 4 championships in his career and a loss in this series will have hurt him, but we can always expect a brilliant comeback from LeBron and next season could likely be one of those.

Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers

Phoenix finished 2nd seed in the West but coming into the Playoffs not many would have bet on the Suns to come out victorious against the Lakers. With players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the series definitely should have gone the Lakers' way, but Devin Booker showed up against them and played wonderfully well throughout the series. After tying the series 2-2, the Lakers would have expected to win the remaining games but the Suns never let their guard down and showcased brilliant performances in Game 5 and Game 6.

Devin Booker vs Lakers

Playing his first Playoff series, Devin Booker played amazingly well and his jaw-dropping shooting in Game 6 helped Phoenix eliminate the Lakers. Booker scored 47 points and shot 8-10 from the 3-point range, he scored 33 of those points in the first half. Booker is a big Kobe fan and in his post-match press conference, he said, "Seeing the 8 and the 24 up there with the lighting that Staples has right theree, it feels like it's shining down on you. I know he was here tonight, in the building and I know he was proud."

Booker averaged 29.7 points for the series and as the Suns move ahead and face the Denver Nuggets, they will be hoping that he continues his form into the conference semis and helps them get past the Nuggets. Phoenix are playing their first playoff series since 2010 and will be hoping to make the most out of it, as this looks to be the strongest team they have had for a while. Round 2 begins in Phoenix on Monday, June 7 at 10:00 PM [Tuesday, June 8 at 7:30 AM IST].

Picture Credits: Los Angeles Lakers/Twitter