Prior to the loss, James had a 14-0 first-round series record in playoff appearances for the Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.The Suns, led by star players Devin Booker and Chris Paul, jumped to an early lead and managed the video game for the period, leading 36-14 after the first quarter and 62-41 at halftime. A rally in the 4th quarter by the Lakers brought the rating to within 10, however it was ultimately stifled by Phoenix. For this video game, James had an uphill climb he had actually never dealt with in his profession. This was the very first time ever that his team was losing in a first-round series entering a Game 6. It was also the very first time in James career that his team ever lost back-to-back games in the opening round. The Lakers were previously up 2-1 in the series prior to losing the next three games.James has only missed out on the playoffs three times given that entering the NBA in 2003 and has actually advanced to the NBA Finals on 10 occasions. Last season, James set the league record for the majority of postseason games played in a career. The Lakers dealt with the injury bug all season, with significant time missed by James and star center Anthony Davis. The team was the seventh seed in the Western Conference and had actually beat the Golden State Warriors in a one-off play-in game, with James hitting the winning shot. The Suns, appearing in the playoffs for the very first time because 2010, advance to the 2nd round to face the Denver Nuggets in a best-of-seven matchup.