Incredible LeBron James NBA playoff run comes to an end

It’s official: the Los Angeles Lakers have been eliminated from postseason contention and the NBA playoffs will be without LeBron James for the first time since 2005.

The Lakers lost to the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 111-106 on Friday, their 10th loss in their last 11 games and one that mathematically eliminated the team from the playoffs.

The Lakers were effectively eliminated long ago, but this season naturally had to come up with one last ignominy.

This time, it was receiving the official elimination loss at home against a Nets team led by a player the Lakers had previously cast off.

D’Angelo Russell finished with 21 points, 13 assists and three steals to finish off his former team, another highlight in what has been a breakout season for the point guard.

Nearly two years ago, the Lakers traded Russell to the Nets along with Timofey Mozgov’s albatross contract to the Nets for Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma.

The move was meant to make room at point guard for Lonzo Ball, who was shut down earlier this month with an ankle injury. Russell has since blossomed into an All-Star and the exact kind of reliable offensive option that the Lakers could have used this year.

Another ex-Laker, Ed Davis, also finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Nets off the bench.

Funnily enough, the Lakers actually showed a lot more fight than usual in their current run of losses, but it obviously wasn’t enough.

There was rarely a lead larger than five points for either team, and LeBron James finished with 25 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in his return from a groin injury. However, he also shot a ghastly 8-of-25 from the field.

WITH YAHOO SPORTS US