On Friday night, LeBron James recorded 39 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds and four steals, as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a double-digit deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in overtime, 119-110.
In the process, the four-time MVP set a new NBA record.
It’s one thing for James to have a triple-double while scoring at least 30 points, as that is something he’s done plenty of times throughout his storied career, but adding four steals to that tally offered an extra dimension.
Last season, James was criticized by fans and experts alike for regularly displaying a lackadaisical effort on the defensive end. This was in contrast to the performances he regularly brought to that side of the ball earlier in his career, which earned him five consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team honors.
So far this season, James has shown more intensity on defense. He’s even made the effort to occasionally draw charging fouls on opponents.
In addition to his gaudy numbers against the Mavs, James led a Lakers transition attack that netted 19 fast-break points for a team that ranked just 22nd in pace coming into Friday’s contest.
At 4-1, the Lakers are certainly looking like one of the top teams in the NBA. Knowing that James can still take his game to this incredible level when his team needs him to only makes the Purple and Gold a more formidable unit.
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