Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, left, as forward Kenrich Williams, right, looks on during the first half of a Los Angeles Lakers game NBA basketball, Saturday, December 23, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billing)
OKLAHOMA CITY — LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-120 Saturday night to end a four-game losing streak.
James, 38, finished 13 of 20 from the field, hitting five 3-pointers without missing and hitting all nine of his free throws. He also had seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
Oklahoma City cut what was a 26-point deficit with 3:32 left in the third quarter to eight points midway through the fourth quarter. James then took over, scoring 11 points in the final 4:29 to help the Lakers wait.
“Knowing that I can go out and continue to make winning plays, that I can affect the game in multiple ways and that I can still close out a game in the fourth quarter when our team needed it when they started to make a point is always a good feeling, that’s for sure,” James said.
LEBRON 40 PIECES IN LAKERS W ????
40 points
7 RECs
7 AST
5/5 3 p.m. pic.twitter.com/oK6xH99HC4-NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2023
Anthony Davis, who called this a must-win game, added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura scored 21 points and Austin Reaves had 11 points and nine assists for Los Angeles, who had gone 1-5 since winning the in-season tournament.
The Lakers shot 52.2% and had a game-high 37 assists to just nine turnovers.
“Everyone was making shots and everyone was passing the ball,” James said. “We were trying to stay on time, on target and not turn the ball over. That was the key.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points for Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams added 28 and Chet Holmgren had 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder had won three games in a row and five of six.
Hachimura scored 16 points in the first half to help Los Angeles take a 71-59 lead into the break. The Lakers shot 60% from the field in the first two quarters.
The Thunder called a timeout after James hit a 3-pointer with the 7-foot-1 Holmgren in the face early in the third to give the Lakers a 78-64 lead. James made another 3-pointer, then lobbed over Davis for a powerful two-handed dunk that gave the Lakers a 90-70 lead and forced another Oklahoma City timeout.
Reaves made a 3-pointer, was fouled and made the free throw with about four minutes left in the third to give the Lakers a 98-75 lead. Los Angeles took a 107-91 lead into the fourth.
The Thunder cut the deficit to single digits midway through the final period before the Lakers hung on. James’ corner 3 off a Gilgeous-Alexander fence put the Lakers ahead 123-110 with 3:26 left.
“They came out like a team that was desperate for a win,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I didn’t think we were bad, sloppy, soft or anything like that, but we just didn’t amp it up to the level we needed to, especially in that first half. And we got them on the right track. And I thought that was really the game there. So this is a good lesson for us.
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FOLLOWING
Lakers: Host Boston on Monday.
Thunder: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night.
