LeBron James scored 19 points and had plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the Los Angeles Lakers’ 117-91 NBA victory over the Golden State...
LeBron James scored 19 points and had plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the Los Angeles Lakers’ 117-91 NBA victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
James, playing in his 1,300th regular-season game, added six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots in just 24 minutes on court.
He sat out all of the fourth quarter along with the rest of the starters from both teams as the Lakers closed out what had become a tough February with a dominant victory despite the continuing absence of star forward Anthony Davis.
The NBA champions, who lost five of their first six with Anthony sidelined, have now won two straight.
“When you lose a mega-piece like AD, it’s going to take some time both offensively and defensively,” James said of the adjustments required.
He said careful film study had helped the Lakers tighten up their defense and players had become more comfortable in their roles with Davis sidelined – an absence that Lakers coach Frank Vogel acknowledged, calling on them to develop a “little bit of a new identity.”
Six Lakers scored in double figures as they avenged a narrow loss to the Warriors in January.
James capped an overwhelming first half with a pull-up three-pointer that put the Lakers up...
