Amid the disappointing Game 3 matchup, LeBron James still delivered a clutch moment for the Los Angeles Lakers. It even earned a rare reaction from the longtime Lakers superfan, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Facing the defending champions, the OKC Thunder, last night, the Lakers entered the game trailing 2-0 in the series. But, a clutch second-quarter three-pointer from King James during the high-stakes Game 3 made even the Hollywood icon tip his hat.

The 41-year-old James drilled a three-pointer to tie the game. As the crowd celebrated the moment, the camera quickly shifted to Leonardo DiCaprio, who, in his usual low-key style, gave a nod of approval after the bucket.

The opening quarter didn’t go in the LA side’s favor, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his men took charge right from tip-off.

The Lakers found their rhythm in the second quarter. Starting the quarter with back-to-back three-pointers, the Lakers found their rhythm and inched closer to cutting the lead. Around the 5th minute mark, LeBron James provided the momentum shift the home crowd needed.

James' basket reinforced why DiCaprio has been a Lakers supporter throughout the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal eras.

Over the last three decades, the Revenant star has become a familiar presence at the Crypto.com Arena courtside. Unlike the NY Knicks’ celebrity fans, DiCaprio always has a low-key presence with his cap pulled down and watches the game rarely emoting.

DiCaprio had his own wild moments at the arena.

During Game 7 of the West Finals between the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers in 2000, Kobe’s alley-oop to Shaq at the penultimate minute sent the arena into a frenzy!

It even left DiCaprio punching the air in excitement.

Speaking of the moment, he said, “The whole stadium just shot up into the air. I remember that. That was an incredible moment, man.”

However, that wasn’t the case for Game 3. 

Despite the 2-point lead at halftime, the Lakers crumbled to a 131-108 loss at the end of regulation.

Can LeBron James & Co. pull off a comeback?

No team in the history of the NBA has come back from a 3-0 deficit. LeBron James and his men now have the herculean task at their disposal.

While James and Austin Reaves were expected to carry the offense, the duo failed, as they could only produce 36 points together amid Rui Hachimura's promising 21 points.

Meanwhile, the team doesn’t have a return timeline for Luka Doncic, as he continues to recover from a grade 2 hamstring strain.

As they face elimination, the Lakers will once again face the OKC Thunder with a thin depth on the bench, with Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard struggling offensively.

Do you think the Lakers can pull off a historic comeback as they host the Thunder for Game 4? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Shahul Hameed

Edited by

Surjo Ray