During Game 4 of the first-round playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron James took an astonishing 14 free throws in the first half alone. This attempt equaled the second-most free throw attempts of his playoff career for a half.

Despite James' tenacious play—registering 22 points (12 from the line), seven rebounds, and three assists—the Lakers were down 61-58 at the half. His incessant drives to the rim kept Los Angeles in striking range in a decisive must-win game.

Social Media Goes Wild Over LeBron's Free Throw Disadvantage

Lakers vs Timberwolves: LeBron James' Free Throws Ignite NBA Fan Lakers vs Timberwolves: LeBron James' Free Throws Ignite NBA Fan
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The large number of fouls being called in James' favor led to a blaze of criticism throughout social media outlets. Fans complained that the NBA was giving special treatment to the Lakers so they would not slip into a devastating 3-1 series deficit, Athlon Sports reports.

On X, Steph Curry Muse, a popular Stephen Curry fan account, tweeted, "Lakers on the brink of falling behind 3-1, and LeBron has a career-best 14 free throws in the first half. Adam Silver called it."

Others blamed the league for overt bias, claiming that the result was being rigged to safeguard LeBron's playoff campaign.

Another viral post said that LeBron got more free throws in Game 4 alone than Anthony Edwards has in the whole series. The original poster teased that it's a battle between Adam Silver (not the Lakers) and the Wolves.

This was supported by one fan commenting, "Adam Silver will not allow LeBron to lose in the first round."

LeBron's Masterful Performance Isn't Enough as Lakers Stand on Brink of Elimination

Even after having a double-double stat of 27 markers and 12 boards, to go with eight assists, James' heroics were not enough to steal a road victory. Luka Doncic paced the Lakers with a game-high 38 points, but Minnesota managed to hold on for the win, taking the series advantage to 3-1.

James took a total of 18 free throws at the end of the evening, but officiating questions overshadowed much of the game's result.

Game 5: Lakers Meet Do-or-Die Situation in LA

The series now returns to Los Angeles for a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday. With the Timberwolves poised to close the series, the Lakers have to bounce back quickly. The focus will be on James, not only for his play but also for how the officiating is going to be controlled after the social media backlash.

If the Lakers' Game 4 loss wasn't still disappointing. Lakers legend Magic Johnson said that the Lakers should better know their strategy if they want to salvage the series.