After a riveting NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers were back in action at home at Crypto.com against the Golden State Warriors.
Both the Lakers and Warriors made trades for superstars at the deadline, but Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler were ruled out for the contest. Because of the players gone in the respective trades, both teams came into the matchup shorthanded.
The first half was dominated by Los Angeles who went up by as many as 26 points, but Golden State battled back in the second half to get within striking distance of stealing the game. It was a tightly-contested fourth quarter, but the Lakers ultimately held on to beat the Warriors 120-108 and collect their fourth consecutive victory.
Since Doncic has been in Los Angeles, James has taken it upon himself to show his new co-star he still has enough left in the tank to win a title. Against Golden State, James had another vintage performance in the highly-anticipated matchup on both ends of the floor and made sure that the team never fell behind.
James was spectacular in every phase of the game, but offensively he reached another level as he constantly found ways to score against the Warriors. James caught fire in the second quarter after burying a series of 3-pointers, including one from the logo that even he was impressed with.
The King also made sure to make Golden State’s smaller defenders pay as he barreled down the lane several times. As a playmaker he also did damage, especially in transition where he made several passes down the court for easy baskets.
Overall, James was the best player on the floor and recorded a massive stat line of 42 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block. James also became the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points. He and Michael Jordan are the only two to do it in their 40s.
Jarred Vanderbilt was key in the win as his energy on defense helped prevent the Warriors from overtaking the matchup. Vanderbilt hounded Golden State’s ball handlers but he was also a huge factor on the boards as he pulled down 14 of them.
Gabe Vincent was also integral in the win as his outside shooting kept Los Angeles well-ahead. Vincent scored 15 points with all of them coming from distance.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers continue their home stand on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers and then the Utah Jazz on Monday, with one of the games serving as Luka Doncic’s debut.
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