The Los Angeles Lakers improved to a 3-2 record on Wednesday with an entertaining 130-125 win in overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers as LeBron James powered them to a big victory.
He scored 35 points on hot shooting to go along with 11 rebounds and seven assists, and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum couldn’t help but give him his props afterward.
The shit Bron is doing is ridiculous lol
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) November 2, 2023
James is now in his 21st NBA season, and he is creeping closer to his 39th birthday, which is just under two months away. Some questioned whether he could continue to play at an elite level, and it was an understandable concern given how much mileage he has on his body.
But he has played well overall to start this season, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime, and he hasn’t looked tired down the stretch of games either.
The Lakers trailed big early as it looked like the Clippers couldn’t miss, especially from 3-point range. But they found some combinations that worked defensively, and they started pecking away at what had been a 19-point deficit like starving birds until they finally eked ahead at the end of the third quarter.
The Purple and Gold were ahead by eight with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers were able to force overtime, only to fall to James and crew in the end.
This was the Lakers’ first win versus the Clippers since late in the 2019-20 season just prior to the start of the playoffs. In addition to James, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell turned in excellent games, while wing Cam Reddish started in place of the ailing Taurean Prince and gave the team 37 minutes of active, effective defense.
While James played 42 minutes, he will have plenty of time to rest, as the Lakers won’t play again until Saturday when they start a four-game road trip.
