PHILADELPHIA — Two days after seeing his 1,297-game double-digit scoring streak end, LeBron James responded with 10 consecutive points in the fourth quarter and finished with a season-high 29 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-108 on Sunday night.
The 40-year-old forward shot 12-for-17, added seven rebounds, six assists and a late steal, and sealed the win with a 20-foot fadeaway that put Los Angeles ahead by five with 27.4 seconds remaining. After the basket, James blended his crown-placing gesture with his trademark “silencer” celebration, a combination he said he had never used before.
Redemption after Toronto misfire
On Thursday in Toronto, James missed 13 of 17 attempts and scored fewer than 10 points for the first time in 17 years, though he delivered the game-winning assist to Rui Hachimura at the buzzer. Explaining Sunday’s turnaround, he said, “At 40 years old it just takes a while for my body to get back into a rhythm. It felt good tonight to feel like myself again.”
Help from a jet-lagged Doncic
Luka Doncic, who flew from Slovenia to rejoin the club after the birth of his second daughter, logged a triple-double with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, despite shooting 9-for-24 and committing five turnovers. “That was vintage Bron,” Doncic said. “We’re happy he was there to save us.”
Austin Reaves, averaging a career-best 29.3 points entering the night, went 3-for-16. Sensing the need, James said he “tried to punch in from there” when Reaves and Doncic “needed a little kick.”
Ayton perfect from the field, Embiid struggles
Deandre Ayton contributed 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds while helping limit Joel Embiid to 4-for-21 from the floor. “It was like a movie,” Ayton said of James’ closing burst.
Historical footnotes
The victory lifted Los Angeles to 17-6, second in the Western Conference, and gave James his 1,015th regular-season win, moving him past Hall of Famer Robert Parish for second on the NBA’s all-time list. It also marked the Lakers’ first triumph in Philadelphia since 2017, a span that predates James’ arrival in Los Angeles.
Sunday’s game unfolded with the 76ers in black throwback uniforms reminiscent of Allen Iverson’s era, inside an arena that has changed corporate naming rights four times since James entered the league in 2003. Watching from the Lakers’ bench was James’ 21-year-old son, Bronny, suited up but not used.
James, who missed training camp, preseason and the first 14 regular-season games because of sciatica, has appeared in only seven contests this year. “I’ve had so many of those moments, and it never gets old,” he said. “You’ll never be able to get that back once you’re done playing.”
Source: ESPN
