Lakers Vice President Magic Johnson said it might be time for owner Jerry Buss to break up the team.

"Dr. Buss has a lot of work to do," said Johnson. "He's probably going to have to blow this team up after the season if the Lakers lose this series because you have to come back with some fresh faces. You have to pick between the two big men with which one you keep and then you trade the other one."

"The Lakers have two problems," said Johnson, who sold his 4.5% ownership stake in the Lakers  to billionaire season ticket-holder Patrick Soon-Shiong in October but has kept his title as vice president. "They're too slow and they have no athletes. This is an athletic league now. When you think about all the teams that are in the playoffs right now, they all can run fast and jump high.

"Sometimes you can be together too long," he continued. "This group has been probably together too long.”