Lakers survive Warriors in double OT behind LeBron's heroics

01/27/2024 — LeBron James stands aside Stephen Curry in their 49th game against each other. Photo Credit: Lakers.com

In a LeBron James versus Stephen Curry instant classic, reminiscing of the old, the Lakers survived in double overtime to defeat the Golden State Warriors 145–144, behind a 36-point triple-double performance from LeBron on Saturday night.

“It’s something I’ll be able to talk about with my grandkids; talk about me being able to compete with one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” LeBron said on his many battles with Curry.

Curry finished with a game-high 46 points in 43 minutes played.

It looked as though the Lakers’ fate was determined after a deep three from Curry gave Golden State a one-point lead with 4.7 seconds left in double overtime. One last effort and heroics from LeBron forced his way to the foul line, down one with 1.2 seconds left, hitting both shots to earn them a hard-fought win.

The double-overtime win improved the Lakers’ season record to 24–23 and earned them their fifth win in their last seven games.

LeBron’s historic night earned him the oldest player, 39, in NBA history with a 30-point triple-double, the oldest to have a 30-point and 20-rebound performance and his 110th triple-double of his NBA career.

He added a career-high 20 rebounds, along with 12 assists, while remaining consistent, shooting 2-for-4 from three and 14-for-25 overall from the field.

Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell contributed largely to the Lakers’ win behind LeBron.

Despite leaving the game early after taking a hard collision in the groin on a foul from Warriors Draymond Green, forcing him to head to the locker room, Davis returned to start the fourth quarter and finish the game.

Davis said he was “good” on the status of his groin, mentioning that it was the same area he’s been dealing with most of the season.

Davis finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks on 11-for-24 finishing.

Russell redeemed himself after a late turnover in double overtime with a pull-up three in transition on the next possessions to give the Lakers a one-point lead with 51.8 seconds left. This shot gave the Lakers a needed bucket and huge momentum against a loud Chase Center crowd.

“To be honest, I knew I had just turned the ball over. So for me, it was just trying to be sure on whatever I was gonna do next time I got the ball, Not lose confidence because, once again, that doesn’t help the team,” Russell said on his three. “That was a good look for me; I still feel that.”

Russell finished with 28 points while shooting 5-for-8 from behind the arc.

Jarred Vanderbilt continued his surge with a performance that should give head coach Darvin Ham a changing decision forward, inserting him in the Lakers' starting lineup. 

In a season-high 41 minutes, Vanderbilt finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The Lakers play their second game of a six-game road trip on Monday in their first game of a back-to-back against the 21–24 Houston Rockets at 5 p.m.