NBA Recap: LeBron James stars as Lakers compound Warriors woes
Heats defeat 76ers, Grizzlies defeat Magic
LeBron James brought his A-game as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to an impressive 124-116 win over the Golden State Warriors in their NBA encounter on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers had lost all four of their games since the All-Star break and needed to find a way back as they were quickly sliding down the standings and were in real danger of missing the play-in tournament.
The Golden State Warriors, too, had been in a slump in recent weeks. They had fallen from competing with the Phoenix Suns for top spot in the Western Conference after losing seven of their last 10 games.
LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers by example with a season-high 56 points and 10 rebounds in the game and Russell Westbrook dropped 20 points of his own for the side. For the Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry’s tally of 30 points was not enough to save them.
LeBron James joins greats like Michael Jordan, Jamal Crawford and Kobe Bryant as the only players to ever score 50+ points after their 37th birthday in NBA history.
The Minnesota Timberwolves picked up a fourth straight win of this NBA season with a 135-121 defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers. Karl-Anthony Towns led the scoring for the Timberwolves with 36 points and 15 rebounds, and Anfernee Simons contributed 38 points for the short-handed Trail Blazers.
The Memphis Grizzlies continued their impressive rise in the NBA with a 124-96 win over the Orlando Magic. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane contributed 25 and 24 points, respectively, for the Grizzlies in the game.
Miami Heat moved three games clear at the top of the Eastern Conference after a 99-82 win over rivals Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each recorded 21 points for the Heat, and Gabe Vincent added 16 points.
Charlotte Hornets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 123-117 in their encounter on Saturday. Terry Rozier led the scoring for the Hornets with 31 points, and LaMelo Ball contributed 24 points.
The Dallas Mavericks came back from 19 points down again as they defeated the Sacramento Kings 114-113 in the absence of Luka Doncic. Spencer Dinwiddie led the scoring for the Mavericks with 36 points and Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, too. DeAaron Fox scored 44 points for the Sacramento Kings.
