-
dave mcmenamin
Philadelphia – after that one game Failed to reach 10 points for the first time in 17 years, Lebron James Winded back the clock to score 10 consecutive points in the fourth quarter alone Los Angeles Lakers to one win 112-108 Above philadelphia 76ers On Sunday.
“At 40, I mean, it just takes some time for my body to get back into rhythm,” James said. “And so it felt good to feel like myself a little bit tonight.”
On Thursday in Toronto, he looked every bit of those 40 years, missing 13 of the 17 shots he took as his record streak of 1,297 games in double-digit scoring was broken — albeit in poetic fashion with James’ pursuit. Rui Hachimura With the game-winning assist at the buzzer.
Against Philadelphia, he looked like his old self, scoring a season-high 29 points while shooting 12 of 17 from the floor, adding seven rebounds, six assists and a steal on the Sixers’ final offensive possession for the finishing touch.
“I think it’s important to be reminded from time to time what you’re capable of doing,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said: “He’s done that once or twice in his life, right?”
The game was a reminder of how long James has been at the top of his game.
The 76ers were playing in their black throwback uniforms made popular by franchise legend Allen Iverson. The same style of uniforms that Philadelphia wore as their standard set when James entered the NBA in 2003.
And when James made a 20-footer with 27.4 seconds remaining to put the Lakers ahead by five — his fourth straight jump shot — they paraded down the court to Xfinity Mobile Arena, a building that has had four different title sponsors since joining the league.
That last jumper forced the Sixers to take a timeout, and James combined a recent signature celebration – pantomiming placing a crown on his head – with a tried-and-true “silencer” – pounding his chest and then taking an exaggerated step, pushing both hands toward the floor.
“I shot it over the net for the first time in my life,” James told Spectrum Sportsnet’s Mike Trudell about the new-look celebration in an on-court walk-off interview.
And James, playing his seventh game of the season after missing all of training camp, all of the preseason and the first 14 games of the regular season due to sciatica affecting his lower back and right side of his body, matches up perfectly with L.A.’s star backcourt. luka doncic And Austin Reeves One night he needed it.
Doncic traveled from Slovenia to Philadelphia with his fiancée Anamaria Goltz to rejoin the team after a two-game absence. birth of their second daughterOlivia.
And Reeves, who came into the night averaging a career-best 29.3 points per game, suffered a rare tough outing, going 3 of 16 from the floor.
“I felt like the opportunity presented itself,” James said. “I felt like my two heavy hitters didn’t have it or needed a little kick and I tried to punch out from there.”
This effort was appreciated.
“I mean, he was amazing,” Doncic said. “That was vintage Braun. We’re glad he was there to save us.”
Lakers Center deandre ayton Scored 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting with 12 rebounds and helped limit Philadelphia joel embiid Only 4-for-21 shooting, but he only wanted to talk about James.
“It was like a movie,” Ayton said. “Ever see a movie? It felt like a movie. I was in a movie.”
Meanwhile, it felt like a whirlwind for Doncic, who made his first comments to reporters after taking a 12-hour flight from L.A. to his hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia, on Tuesday and then another long trip to the United States on Saturday.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” Doncic said. “It was a lot. I was there for the birth of my daughter, so it means everything to me. But it was definitely a roller coaster.”
While Doncic had to leave his family to go back to work – “It’s a job, so I have to do it,” Doncic said – James’ 21-year-old son, Bronny, was on the bench suiting up for the Lakers as his father moved to Philadelphia.
An exhausted Doncic still managed to post a triple-double with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, even though he shot 9 of 24 with five turnovers. At just 26 years old, there will be many more nights for him where he is a closing bell hero like James.
For James, the only player in league history to play 23 seasons, opportunities like Sunday are always going to be precious.
“I’ve had a lot of moments like that that never get old,” James said. “And that’s the one thing you’ll never get back once you’re done playing, is that field. The excitement of going out there – and either the excitement or the boos and the cheering or whatever the case may be. You’ll never get that back once you’re done playing.”
The win improved the Lakers’ record to 17–6, No. 2 in the Western Conference, and surpassed James’ career win total in the regular season to 1,015. boston celtics hall of fame robert parish For No. 2 all-time.
It was the Lakers’ first win in Philadelphia since 2017 — when James still played for Cleveland.
“To do [and go on scoring spree] “To be able to come out ahead in a win is even more important,” James said. “To be able to come out ahead in a win, it’s even more exciting.”
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
