LeBron lifts Lakers past Spurs in shootout.
SAN ANTONIO, TX— The Lakers won their second straight game against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring a season-high 143 points behind a huge 39-point game from LeBron to win 143–138 and improve their season record to 7–11.
“I feel like we’re getting better and better. Earlier in the season, we would have lost a game like this," said Lebron James.
LeBron’s big night overshadowed a couple of season-high outings for the Lakers, who shot a season-high 51% (17-for-33) from behind the arc and 58% (47-for-81) total as a team in Saturday’s win.
Due to a bruised left calf, Anthony Davis missed the second game of the back-to-back against the Spurs. Coach Darvin Ham claimed that Davis was “kicked” in the second half of Friday’s win. Ham later explained that Davis was being rested as a precaution for Davis’ calf.
In his second game back from a five-game absence, LeBron James showed the NBA world why he is one of the best players to ever do it with several season-highs in Saturday’s win.
"I put in too much work to not get out of a shooting slump," LeBron said. “I know the work I put into my game and craft. I was able to knock a couple down tonight and give us an opportunity to win the game.”
LeBron finished with a season-high 39 points, a season-high 7 threes (7-for-12, 58%), a season-high 10 free throws (10-for-10), and a game-high 11 rebounds in 35 minutes.
Without Anthony Davis in the lineup, Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker IV gave the Lakers the boost they needed with a combined 40 points and above 50% field goal shooting.
Shröder finished second on the team with 21 points on 60% (6-for-10) shooting, knocking down 3-of-4 (75%) shots from three, with 6 assists and 3 rebounds in 30 minutes.
Walker IV finished with 19 points on 3-for-5 (60%) shooting from three and 7-for-10 (70%) shooting overall from the floor, adding 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 38 minutes.
“We beat [the Spurs] three times. I think it’s a win on my end,” said Lonnie Walker.
During the end of the 3rd quarter, Russell Westbrook and Spurs forward Zack Collins got into a tussle after Collins committed a hard foul on Westbrook’s putback attempt. The foul caused Westbrook to bleed a good amount from his forehead, and he took exception to it right after going at Collins right after he got up.
After the altercation, Westbrook received a technical foul, and Zack Collins was ejected from the game with a flagrant 2 after the officials reviewed the hard foul.
After it was visible that Westbrook was bleeding from his forehead, LeBron immediately got a towel and covered his head to help with the bleeding, showing just how helpful LeBron was in aiding his teammate.
“That’s what togetherness looks like,” said head coach Darvin Ham of LeBron coming to Westbrook's aid. “Being there for your teammate, he takes a shot to the head, you have a guy with blood on his head, upset. Having Bron there shows a brotherhood.”
“His health is more important than the game of basketball,” said LeBron of Westbrook's cut on his forehead.
The Lakers’ next matchup is back home this Monday against the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 PM on Spectrum SportsNet.
