LeBron James defies his age again in thrilling Lakers win over Warriors
LeBron James walked through the visiting locker room Christmas afternoon and wondered if music was playing inside Chase Center.
As a DJ bumped early-2000s Ludacris near the hoop the Lakers were warming up on, James broke routine to dance and smile.
As much as any player in NBA history, James is aware of the stage. And even after doing it 18 times over 21 seasons, a spot on the court Christmas evening with everyone watching hit him like a triple espresso.
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Facing Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a big game? Old news for James, who competed against one of his biggest rivals in five playoff series (and one play-in game).
But in the context of this season, with James days away from his 40th birthday, he looked like someone intent on savoring things.
James embraced Curry before the game, the two Olympic teammates from the summer still enjoying that experience. He ran onto the court after halftime, stopping at the end of the tunnel to playfully dance to “Not Like Us” with Chase Center security. And during the action, he delivered an age-defying performance for the unexpectedly shorthanded Lakers in a 115-113 win with timely help from Austin Reaves.
After a flurry of Curry buckets in the fourth quarter, Reaves drove past the Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins for a tiebreaking layup with one second left for the win.
Without D’Angelo Russell the entire game and Anthony Davis for most of it, James didn’t just use his old-man strength to bully into the paint. He jumped passing lines, dug in and deflected on double teams, swished midrange jumpers and bullied smaller defenders between him and the rim.
Russell didn’t play after sustaining a sprained thumb in the Lakers’ loss to Detroit on Monday. Davis, who has feasted against smaller Golden State lineups, played just seven scoreless minutes before exiting because of a left ankle sprain.
It meant that even the most energized version of James needed help. Wednesday, he got it.
Reaves scored 26 points to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, the third triple-double of his career. James finished with 31 points, 10 assists and four rebounds. Rui Hachimura scored 18 and hit five threes, grinning at the Lakers bench as he ran back on defense. Max Christie and Gabe Vincent chased Curry, and rookie Dalton Knecht, stuck in a monthlong slump, chipped in 13 points off the bench for the Lakers (17-13).
But winning is always hard — and the Warriors (15-14), like James, don’t shy away from the biggest stages.
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Ex-Laker Dennis Schroder swished a three after a James block, and Curry hit a driving layup to cut the Lakers’ lead to two with less than 30 seconds to go.
Christie made a pair of free throws, but Curry hit an insanely difficult three over James deep in the corner to make it a one-point game. Reaves hit two more free throws but the door still was open. And Curry got open enough off a Draymond Green screen to make another three, this time with no one on him, to tie the game with six seconds left before Reaves gave the Lakers the lead again.
A last-second heave by Curry was no good, and the Lakers could exhale.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.