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LeBron James led the Lakers to a comeback victory.
CNN –
LeBron James scored 32 points and overcame a shin injury to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 122-119 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA In-Season Tournament on Friday, ending the franchise’s three-game losing streak.
The Suns led for most of the game until the fourth quarter, when the Lakers clawed their way back into contention and set up a finale in the stands.
Anthony Davis settled the contest after making two free throws, extending LA’s lead to six points with one second left.
“I think it’s the first time we’ve finally gotten over the hurdle of this road trip,” James said afterward, according to ESPN.
“We played from behind in a lot of our games and weren’t able to take the lead in some of the later games that we lost. So that was a good feeling.”
After colliding with Durant in the first quarter, James had to be treated on the bench for a shin injury, but was able to continue playing after a brief period of limping.
In addition to his 32 points, James contributed six assists and 11 rebounds, while D’Angelo Russell contributed 19 points and nine assists.
Durant’s heroic 38 points for the Suns ultimately weren’t enough to prevent the Lakers’ first road win of the season.
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D’Angelo Russell added 19 points and nine assists.
Elsewhere, Luka Dončić added another accolade to his growing collection as he became only the third player in NBA history, after Michael Jordan and James, to score more than 40 points in 30 different games at the age of 25.
He contributed 44 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 144-125.
Against the Clippers, Dončić is now averaging 32.9 points per game – the highest average by a player against a team in his conference since 1976.
“I didn’t know that. I mean, that’s great,” he said modestly afterward, according to the Mavs’ website.
Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama finished the game with 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, but his San Antonio Spurs lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-110.