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Lakers get a painful reminder: Their dream of contention rests on the body of a 40-year-old legend

BOSTON — There isn’t just one thing that could thwart a Lakers run through the playoffs, but the biggest single thing reared its head Saturday night during the most anticipated regular-season game of the year: LeBron James and his 40-year-old body potentially failing him.

The last time he took an awkward step that resulted in a groin injury, it was Christmas Day 2018 — his first as a Laker.

Luckily for James, he didn’t feel that extra pop after scoring his last field goal with 7:05 remaining in the fourth quarter as the Lakers began mounting a comeback after the Boston Celtics took control in the third.