LeBron James, Luka Doncic Delight Lakers Fans as LA Beats Warriors with Steph Curry Out Injured

LeBron James and Luka Doncic powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a commanding 129-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors, who were without leading scorer Stephen Curry.

The superstar duo combined for 48 points Saturday at Chase Center, delivering a statement win on Doncic's 27th birthday.

Doncic set the tone with 26 points, six rebounds and eight assists, shooting 9-of-17 from the field. James added 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting and made franchise history, becoming just the second player in Lakers history to reach 1,000 three-pointers made. He went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc while adding seven rebounds and nine assists. Austin Reaves chipped in 18 points as the Lakers cruised.

Golden State's Gary Payton II provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on 60 percent shooting, while Gui Santos led the Warriors with 14 points. Moses Moody added 12 and Draymond Green finished with seven points, six rebounds and six assists.

With the win, the Lakers improved to 35-24 to remain sixth in the Western Conference, while the Warriors fell to 31-29 and stayed in eighth place.

Los Angeles seized control early, building an 18-point halftime lead behind 20 first-half points from James. Doncic added 10 before the break and Reaves chipped in 13. Payton II paced Golden State with 10 first-half points, while De'Anthony Melton added eight and Moody contributed six.

Without Curry, the Warriors struggled to keep pace coming out of halftime as the Lakers erupted in the third quarter to blow the game open. The lead swelled to the point that both teams pulled their starters midway through the fourth.

Curry has been sidelined since Jan. 30, when he played 25 minutes and scored 23 points in a 131-124 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The 17-year veteran is dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of All-Star weekend and resulted in a setback during the break, according to ESPN's Marc Spears.

"Around All-Star Weekend, [Steph] had a setback. He was trying to get back and it pushed him back," Spears said on 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs. "I'm not sure when he'll be back but I do know that he wants to come back. He wants the chance to be in the playoffs."

The Lakers will host the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back Sunday, while Golden State will have a day off before hosting the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.